The Devil amoung the Angels: Return of the Ripper
by I-S-X-C-S.Storm-Ghost
Summary: Ichika and the girls return as they prepare for their final year at the IS academy, however when Jake Jackson a new male transfer student arrives possessing a state of the art IS. The academy start turning heads again. However... for some people at the academy, everything in their world was about to change, as this seemingly kind boy hides a twisted monster in him.. Jack the Ripper
1. Early arrival

**Hello everyone.**

 **Before I begin, I'd like you readers to be informed on what to expect from this fanfic.**

 **this story is how I would of liked season three to go if they ever made one for this amazing anime. Events will be a mix of ones from some of my favourite games and ones built up by my own mind and modified to accommodate my OC, however I must warn you that their some scenes of intense battle violence, gory description and moderate ecchi... so you have been warned, this is a story for readers that can handle a bit of blood.**

 **Please note that this is my first ever IS Fanfic, so some constructive criticism would be helpful as it helps me improve, story wise i aim to make this a real piece of work.**

 **anyway, I hope you all enjoy this fic.**

* * *

The moon hung high in the clear black sky, its bright white glow reflecting in the calming ripples of bay as the city prepares for sleep, except for one person who at this moment was of a late night ferry, Their destination. The IS academy.

The young student sighed whilst looking out the ferries window, watching the lights across the sea dim and glow as the city's nightlife rolled on through the late hours. Knowing that the little lights dashing about were cars driven by husbands returning late from their work or buses going on their last trip around town, and knew that soon enough, the little lights would cease to exist for the next eight or so hours, which would mean that in all probability, the students where this new kid on the block was heading to right now would be in their dorms, settling down for the night.

"I should be arriving there soon." The kid sighs, standing up and grabbing the rucksack next to them and makes way to the ferries vehicle transportation chamber.

 _Ichika Orimura, huh?_

The young student thinks of the boy who was mentioned many times before starting the long trek to the IS Academy, the boy who was known as the only male IS pilot alive. When news came around to this kid that Ichika had been the first male IS pilot for almost two years by now they just couldn't believe it, even though this kid was one to believe most great things others don't tend to give a second chance at since they seemed merely impossible, and after many hours of traveling and patience this young pilot was going to get the opportunity to see him for the first time, the thought of it makes the teenager smile slightly.

"I look forward to finally meeting you."

After making way down to the vehicle dock the kid found the object they were looking for parked at the front of the ferry door, and puts on a riding helmet before mounting the vehicle. The student felt the ferry slowly come to a stop, tightening the grip on the handle bars. Only when the ferry completely stopped, a slight puff of air was heard and the doors opened with a hiss, as the doors lowered and made contact with the key, a loud rumble echoed throughout the empty hull of the ferry as the student ignites the engine of the motorcycle, Revving it up a couple of times to warm it up before finally exiting the ferry. The teenager rode towards the end of key, taking in the sight of the academy as they ride along the main drive. As the motorcycle reaches the outside the main entrance, the student took one long breath and switched off the bikes engine.

Just then there was a hiss as the main entrance doors to the academy opened up and a tall figure steps out.

"Miss, J huh…"

Said a black haired woman wearing a female suit that ended in a short skirt, she stared at the data of the new arrival shown on her screen. The photo was blurred, oddly enough, but according to the data, the student was a female.. She'd been waiting in the main build after the receptionist informed her the new transfer student she would be having added to her class was going to be arriving a few hours earlier than scheduled. And now, as she looked at the information page of the girl, she racked her mind as to why the data was so spars and limited.

"Apologies for any inconvenience, but I'm afraid most of your personal data requested for transferring seems to have been lost or deleted for some unknown reason." The woman said before she finally looked up from her screen to see the new student, who was still sitting on the saddle of the bike. She took a second to look over the figure of the kid sat there and even at the bike. Although it seemed this girl was quite flat chested, her build showed to be rather athletic, that of a strong and independent young person, and the evidence was shown clearly by how tightly her leather full boy motorcycle suit wrapped around her body to display her muscly form. The teacher then glances at the bike the student was riding, and given the type it was, she was in complete honesty finding it hard to believe that a seventeen year old could ride something like that. But quickly focused back on the subject of the matter.

"Anyway, I'm you home room teacher Miss Orimura, and as of now that is what you will have to address me as. And seeing that you're early, I would like you to come to the reception and fill out any missing pieces of data that will be required to properly officialese you as a student of the IS Academy." Said Miss Orimura as she gestured the young student in the direction of the main reception office. The student nodded in understanding and dismounted from the bike.

"By the way. What's your name kid?" Miss Orimura asked, and just a few seconds after hearing that the student looks at her, their expression completely masked by the visor of the motorcycle helmet. A few moments of silence past by but right before Miss Orimura could say anything, the student raised her hands and reaches for the clip that fastened her helmet on. With both hands placed either side of her helmet the student slowly begins to pull off the helmet, and when it finally came off the kid swung their head to the side, flicking any loose strands of hair out of the way so Miss Orimura could have a clear look at their face.

And within a few seconds, Miss Orimura's eyes widened in what could only be described as complete surprise, so much in fact that she nearly dropped her tablet, for burdened on this students face was a tell tale mark, a mark that this student alone had, a mark that made her recognise this kid within mere seconds.

"J-Jackson." She said as she looked at the students face, surprised she was seeing it again. The kid had recognised her pretty much straight after she had walked out of the door, and just folds their arms and looks back at her, a smile on their face before speaking up.

"Long time no see... Chifuyu."


	2. A Typical Morning

Ichika yawns lazily as the shimmering rays of sunlight beaming through the thin gaps of the blinders that covered the windows shine onto his face forcing him awake from his deep sleep. Groaning in a discomforting manner he raised his hand to shield his face from the light that was piercing its way through his eyelids. He could tell from his level of tiredness that it was still early in the morning, and after all... seeing that it was a Sunday and that there was no class today at the IS academy, what harm could a lie-in cause.

Well now that he thought about it... it was probably likely that Houki would probably barrage him for laziness again, seeing that she usually makes him get up early for Kendo training on Sunday's. Which then lead to a pretty good point... Where was she? It wasn't normal for Ichika to be waking up before Houki comes barging into the room whilst brandishing a Kendo training sword and dragging him out of his bed.

"Maybe Houkie's feeling too tired for Kendo today?" He thought to himself... But immediately takes back the thought upon realising just how dumb it sounded. Just what was he thinking? This was Houki he was talking about, the girl he'd known longer than any other girl in the IS academy. His childhood friend. Kendo was her passion and if it was ever possible for a term to unreadable in mind of girl like Houki's, the terms (Too tired for and Late for) would without a doubt be the terms in that category. She just wasn't that kind of person that would let time or tiredness beat her.

It must be one of those super rare occasions, where for some reason Ichika had manage to wake up even before Houki has... An occasion where being struck by lightning was far more likely to happen.

Jeez, just early in the morning is it?

That was as the thought spearheading Ichika's mind. He takes a few moments to ponder the thought of wether he should take this as a sign to get up and ready, so that Houki won't have the chance to use her Kendo training sword as an alarm clock to wake him up, or wether he should take in the possibility that he might have a few more minutes to sleep... And seeing that his bed was so warm and comfy right now, and that he'd left one of his windows open last night which had left the room filled with cool morning air, getting up would prove to be quite a challenge.

(Eh... why bother, her beating me up with a wooden sword isn't anything new.) And on that note, Ichika's decision was finalised as he rolled onto his side to move his face out of the suns rays and nab a few more moments of sleep.

But as he rolled over, Ichika felt his chest pressing up against something, something soft and silky. It was a somewhat rather pleasing sensation which tickled the exposed flesh of his chest, But the sensation didn't stop there... as Ichika lied there on his side, he felt something so soft and so warm that words could not describe the feeling it was causing, The warm softness that presses against him runs from the underside of his chin, down his bare chest, and across his abdomens... he could even feel the warmth of something round, firm, yet consisting a pleasantly surprising amount of plushness radiate heat through his boxers as it moulding itself rather nicely with the position his legs and hips were in. The feeling that was sweeping across his body was nothing short of blissful causing him to smile as it melted him back into deep sleep again, the warmth, the softness... and even that sweet humming sound of delight that was gently flowing through his ears... it was complete...

Wait a second... sweet humming sound!

Every pleasant and calm thought that had been engulfing Ichika's mind was instantly vaporised by the wave of traumatic realisation when his eyes snapped wide open to see that the duvet on his bed was covering something else... something he never remembers falling asleep next to. A bone chilling cold sweat begins to form on Ichika's forehead, and drips across his face when the concealed form beneath the bed sheets began to move slightly, as if it was wanting him to press his body against it again. Ichika's entire body becomes so tense it's indescribable, at that precise moment another soft, sweet hum is murmured into the air.

This time, it was dangerously close to sounding like a moan.

And the realisation finally sinks in.

oooooh nooooo... That voice.

That sweet, feminine yet terrifying voice, that when heard at this hour was nothing short of the sign for immanent danger... There's only one person that voice belonged to.

The tense paralysation restraining Ichika's body was quickly snapped out being still as a concrete pillar when the warm softness resting against his pelvis, moves back against him and a playful giggle could be heard from beneath the surface of the covers.

"Gywahh!" He cries out as he suddenly and violently rolls in the opposite direction, but overdoes it and entangles himself in the duvet. The force of his actions results with Ichika shrieking out as he rolls off the edge of the bed in a tightly wrapped duvet cocoon.

The loud THUD of his head colliding with the floor echoes throughout his room.

"O-Ow... My head!" He groans in painful agony as he twists and turns on the floor, trapped in the duvet and unable to rub the back of his head to see how much of a lump the impact had left on him. Though to be honest... It was surprising that the crash hadn't knocked him out in his opinion.

"Brrrr... It's so cold now, why'd you steal the sheets!" Goes the voice of the accompanying member of the bed above Ichika. And just a few seconds later he sees her popping her head over the side of the bed, her smooth, long platinum coloured hair, her deep red eye and that unmistakable black eyepatch... It was none other than Laura. Looking down on him.

"What are you doing in here, again!" Ichika said sounding rather disgruntled. This had to be third time now where Laura had unknowingly snuck into his and just snuggled up with him as if they were some kind of official couple of some sort.

Did she have even the slightest realisation of just what kind of danger these actions were causing for his personal health... Wait... Oh how could he forget, this was Laura... If her actions weren't creating Immanent danger for him regarding the other girls... Then her methods of showing her affection towards him would be the health risk instead.

Tough choice...

"Humph... So that's the thank you I get for surprising you this morning." Laura huffs through pouting lips, her brows slightly furrowed. That wasn't the reaction she was anticipating... No man, no matter how hard they try to hide it would be able to resist going into there primal state if met with a beautiful young woman snuggling up with them in bed.

Well... At least that was what Clarissa had told her the last time she contacted Schwartzer Haze, which happened to be just yesterday when she was in need of guidance on what possible tactic would be the best approach in gaining ground on Ichika over the others.

"You can be a pretty ungrateful bride sometimes." She said giving him another light huff, and her head disappeared back out of sight.

"Surprise me... More like give me a near heart attack." Ichika said as he struggled to push himself back up. But as he got up and turned his eyes upon her, Ichika's face instantly began to burn and his cheeks suddenly fluster a deep shade of pink.

"Gahh... Oh god." stutters out uncontrollably. He was forced to swing his head violently to avert his eyes from the sight that was trying to etch itself into his mind due to the fact that his arms were still bound inside of the duvet encasing him. The force of his action nearly throwing him off his balance and sending him back down to the floor again.

"Please hide them." He asked pleadingly, keeping his head turned completely away from Laura who was kneeling on the mattress of his bed... completely stark naked.

"Huh…? You're saying such weird things Ichika. I heard that in Japan, couples don't hide things from each other."

"Maybe you're right…" Ichika mumbled, the notion suddenly putting a thought into his mind. But realization dawned upon him and he quickly recovered. "NO! HURRY UP AND PUT ON SOME CLOTHES ALREADY!"

Ignoring the chaos caused by the flustered Ichika, Laura rubbed her eyes once more and put on her regular expression again. Waking up like that wasn't something that many could do, but this was Laura Bodewig, leader of the Schwarzer Haze IS Corps of the German Military- doing such a thing was nothing compared to what she went through during training.

"But I heard that this manner of waking up is common, isn't it?" she questioned, tilting her head slightly to one side. "It's said that engaged couples do this."

"Who the hell keeps telling you this?" Ichika sighs, leaning against the wall next to his bed. "If its that instructor of yours again? Then I highly recommend that you fire her already."

His head is still turned away from her.

"But for now... please, please put some clothes on Laura."

"Well... I would, seeing t-that I'm starting to get to get goosebumps from the fact that you left me no sheets now." Laura said whilst hugging her chest tightly to try and warm herself up a little. Her knees started shaking slightly for the chilling air that swept over bare skin.

"But I left all my clothes back in mine and Charlottes room." She said bluntly. Ichika sighs excessively, why does Laura always find it necessary to be completely naked when she sneaks into his room, and not bring any clothes with her.

Does she just waltz straight from her dorm to his with nothing on? Jeez she's got guts. In his own opinion, Ichika wouldn't leave his room with so much as his shirt missing let alone nothing on at all... But he quickly snapped his mind back to the problem at hand, being the naked Laura on his bed. If someone comes into the room and sees the two of them it could lead to a very irrational and indecent conclusion being raised.

Like hell Ichika was gonna let that happen, so he decided to deal with the problem quickly.

"Well... I'll let you borrow a pair of my boxers and a shirt for now so you can get back to your room."

Laura looks at Ichika for a second, sensing a somewhat unwanted tone in his voice.

"So you didn't like what I did for you, huh?" She huffed as she got up from the bed and made her way to the dorm wardrobe. "You didn't even look at me for even a few seconds."

"I never said anything like that." Ichika replied as he hears Laura putting on some clothing, but remaining to keep his head turned. "I do like seeing you... but you can't keep just sneaking into here like this Laura. The others will just kill me for it."

He continued to have his back facing her for a few more moments until the sound of fabrics rustling had ceased and there was a brief second of silence between the two students.

"Are you decent now?" Ichika asked as he was making sure that he wasn't going to turn around and see any of Laura's... unmentionable areas.

"Yes I'm... decent now." The tone of her voice signalling that it was safe to turn around was still carrying a hint of disappointment in it, nevertheless Ichika slowly turned his head back round to set his eyesight on Laura.

But as her bodily form enters Ichika's vision he's overcome by a rather unusual change of sense. The entire time since finding Laura bare skinned on his bed he had been doing everything in his power not to look at her, but now... he couldn't help himself but let his eyes fixate on her.

Laura stands there in front of the wardrobe doors facing him, her hands are behind her back with her fingers entwined, she was pouting at him in a way that showed that whatever way she was thinking this morning was gonna go... she was clearly annoyed that it never played out that way.

Ichika brings his gaze up her pale bare legs, up to the pair of black boxers she'd borrowed from him, a pair that hugged her hips and thighs just the right amount to show her bodies rather lovely curves, up to where the white IS academy shirt which she had put on by only buttoning the one at her chest level, revealed a little bit of her stomach as the shirt opened up nearing to her waist line.

Laura looks up to him with the most curious of looks,"What is it?" She asks.

Ichika swallows dryly before he snaps his gaze up to hers, her deep ruby red eye glistened in the morning light. He knew he was blatantly staring but just couldn't take his eyes off of her. She had her ways of looking cuter than the others, but this... She was just beyond adorable when she was dressed like this, but he soon snaps back to reality when he felt suggestive thoughts trying to creep into his mind.

"Oh... nothing," he blurted out quickly. Laura folded her arms and glares at him with a rather stern look, clearly unconvinced by his reaction. Ichika feels the beads of sweat forming at his temple start to roll down the side of his face, convinced that they were being caused by how nervous he was starting to get rather than how overheated he was starting to feel being that he was still trapped in that duvet cocoon whilst Laura continued to glare at him. Worried that she would put him in a vicious lock and make him spill the beans Ichika quickly decided not to act like he was hiding anything and just be straight forward with her and just hope that it doesn't make anything worse.

He breathes in deep.

"It's just... errr... well. I think you actually look kinda cute dresses like that." Ichika said while trying not to make things sound any more awkward than they already were. There was a tense second between them, Ichika mentally prepared himself for the worst... But Laura didn't attack him, instead her firm glare began to soften, the scary look on her face started to melt away and even her cheeks began to burn up a slight shade of pink.

"Oh... You really think that I look cute." She managed to say sounding somewhat rather bashful. Ichika never replied straight away, instead he remains still for a moment while watching Laura twiddle her thumbs together. Admittedly surprised by this new mood swing.

Was she completely unprepared for that kind of answer? Was she blushing because what he said made her feel nervous? Was she just waiting for him to say she was cute but wasn't expecting it in this manner? Was she...

At that moment all coherent thoughts that we're currently circulating in Ichika's mind were disrupted when he felt a sudden shunt wrench its way into his gut. Fractions of a second later he realises that Laura had taken the time he'd spent thinking to himself as an opportunity to tackle him.

"Oof!" Ichika manages through a breathless gasp as he tumbles backwards and comes crashing down on the mattress of his bed. He tried to get back up again but before he even had a chance to do so Laura pounces upon him and pushes him back.

"W-What are you doing!" He says as she climbs up and straddled the duvet that was encasing him, a somewhat curious look glued to her face as she looked down at him.

"You think I look cute. dressed like this?" Said Laura as she hung her head over his. Her expression clearly showing just how curious she was to here what Ichika was going to say in response.

"Yeah..." Ichika said, being as careful with his words as possible. "I do... You suit being dressed like that, it makes you look really cute."

I'm glad you approve," She giggled and leaned in to hug him tightly, "If that's so then next I'll come dressed like this." She giggled

"Er... Yeah... like this." Ichika repeats dryly. Although he wasn't to relieved to hear that this wouldn't be the last time that Laura was going to be sneaking into his dorm, at least knowing that she was no longer going to be coming in completely naked was reassuring enough to believe he wouldn't get as big of a heart attack next time.

He continued to look up at Laura who was still straddling his duvet cocoon. She then smiled at him and leaned forward.

"Anyway. Moving on from that." She said slowly as presses her stomach against the duvet, her head hanging a few inches above Ichika's. A sudden, chilling tenseness shot through his body, what was she about to do now? Why is she so close to him now? Why is she smiling so much. He tries to stay calm and dos his best to ignore the slight tickle of her long hair gently brushing against the side of his face.

Giggling slightly Laura brushed her hair behind her ear, still looking down Ichika with a gaze that reeked with the fact that she wanted something. Ichika feared what it could be, then she spoke again.

"You still haven't given me a good morning kiss yet." Her words drifted over his ears, her lips so close the warmth of her own breath swept across his face. Ichika felt the tenseness within him growing by the tenfold as Laura's expression began to become more content and fill with the want fullness of a kiss.

Ichika was paralysed into not knowing what to do, his mind a blur of possibilities but he just couldn't decide what to do. If he made any sudden or rash movements then Laura might become upset by that and only god himself would know what will follow after that.

None of it good.

However if he was to just let her kiss him, if any of the others ever found out about it the uproar that would follow world be astronomically catastrophic.

And highly likely that he would become a target for them for at least a week after that.

She closed her eye and began to slowly lean in towards him.

What should be done? What terms of action should be taken? What-

All thoughts and pretty much anything else that was whizzing around in Ichika's head stopped dead in their tracks when Laura finally pressed her mouth against his.

Her lips were soft and warm as she pushed a little harder against him. Although while Laura had her eyes shut, Ichika's were shot wide open in slight surprise. He wasn't expecting Laura to kiss him like that, he thought she was going to give him a small peck and that would be it.

But no...

Instead he could feel her tongue attempting to force her way past the seam of his lips. Ichika clamped his mouth shut, but all that resulted in was Laura taking it as a challenge to break entrance. So she pushed even harder against him.

It would be only a matter of seconds until she broke her way past his defences, until-

Clack.

"Eh…"  
The sound registered in Ichika's brain as he realized that the door had been opened.

"I'm coming in Ichika." That voice... Ichika knew exactly who the girl whom it belonged to. He could hear the girl getting closer.

And by the time he'd looked back, she was already coming round the corner past the bathroom. For some reason she hadn't seen anything yet (probably because she was still tying up up hair into that familiar ponytail of hers)

"Hurry up, we're almost late for training. I hope you're at least awake and..." The young girls voice is stopped dead when she finally set her eyes on the bed and took in the sight of the two in front of her. Their lips still pressed together. The shinai in her left hand, the one that she uses to train kendo with hits the floor as she had been completely overwhelmed by disbelief, and her face showed an expression of pure surprise.

And rage... lots and lots of rage.

"ICHIKA! WH-WHA-WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!" Houki screams out. The sound of her voice immediately gaining the attention of Laura who suddenly withdraws from her kid with Ichika to look up and see Houki glaring at the two of them with the most brutal of death stares. Laura wasn't feeling that threatened by her look... Ichika on the other hand had already started to turn pale as a ghost as the pure fear of what was to come next quickly sunk in.

This was about to get very messy.

"Wha-... Again, honestly you should have learned from last time about how rude it is to just barge into a married couples bedroom." Laura said as she straightens back up, speaking as if she was a victim of this situation and in a tone that was to assume that Houki was in the wrong. "You have such indecency sometimes Houki."

"How many times have we said this before... you two are not a married couple." Houki manages through tightly gritted teeth as she tried to hold back the urge to deploy the Akatsubaki...

A least not at Laura, she wasn't the primary target right now. And with thought at the forefront of her mind she sets her eyes into full death sentence mode and brings them down onto Ichika who was still underneath her in his cocoon. He could feel her glare piercing its way into him, sending an icy chill throughout the entirety of his body regardless of how overheated he was feeling inside the duvet.

He had to say something... anything... anything that would maybe calm Houki down enough so that outcome of this whole predicament won't end with him having any broken bones. He darts through his mind for something to say.

"Houki wait, this is not what you think! This is not what it looks like." He quickly said to try and bring some understanding to her, but as he subconsciously feared it seemed that his words went right into one of Houki's ears and straight out the other one, her expression not changing even in the slightest.

"I saw you kissing her, without showing any kind of restraint." She said in a low yet terrifying tone. "HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO NOT THINK WHAT I THINK IT IS."

"Errrr..." Was all Ichika could come up with in response. Houki then looked up at Laura who was still on top of him, just casually listening to the conversation. That's when she noticed, that shirt on her that obviously seemed to be too big for her, and those black boxers. Houki's hand clenches into a tight fist and she snaps her stare back to Ichika.

"What is she doing wearing your clothes." Houki said trying to keep her voice down, however ignoring to lighten the terrifying face she was making. Ichika felt his stomach churn. (Oh no... she's only just noticed?) there was a moment of silence between them, due to the fact that Ichika literally couldn't think of a way to explain Houki's last question without mentioning the fact that Laura was actually-

"It's pretty obvious." Laura said finally breaking the silence in the room. Ichika started to feel even worse than before now, seeing that Laura sounded like she was about answer Houki's question herself.

And knowing Laura it was painfully obvious that this was going to end horribly... for him.

"Oh is it really?" Houki said sounding rather sarcastic towards Laura as she spurred her to continue on. "Then how bout you enlighten me and say what's so obvious."

Laura puts a sarcastic smile of her own on as she finally hopped off of Ichika and sat on the edge of the bed in front of Houki to continue the conversation with her.

Ichika ceased this as an opportunity to plan his escape, now that Laura was off of him maybe there was a way to get out of this before his childhood friend tried to kill him. He looked towards his bedroom window which was still left open and then back to Houki who was still focused on Laura.

Maybe if he could sneak away and jump out of the window, then he would have a chance to activate his IS and make a getaway. Even if Houki spotted him, by the time she would have activated Akatsubai and begin to give chase Ichika would have found a place to hide by then.

He may not have very many talents, but hiding was without a doubt one that he was exceptional at.

Taking one last look to make sure neither Houki or Laura was watching, he began to execute his plan.

Meanwhile Laura had just finished explaining to Houki about how much of a modest bride she had who was willing to not only let her borrow his clothes when she had none at the time, but also went on about how cute he said she looks dressed up like that. Houki could feel her blood starting to boil now after hearing this, her fist so tightly clenched she could probably crush a pool ball in her grasp now.

However still completely unhindered by her blatant show of anger, Laura continued to look at her with a somewhat dumbfounded expression on her face... as if there was something about Houki that was getting to her at this moment of time. Houki is slightly off put by her look, but now that she focused even more on it she noticed that Laura had been looking at her like that for quite some time since she'd barged into the room, but in the midst of her anger towards Ichika she had completely ignored the look given by Laura.

"Hey...What's with that look?"

"There's something that has been pondering my mind just now." Laura said tilting her head to one side. "What are you doing here?"

"What are you talking about?" Houki immediately replied, yet at the same time slightly confused on what Laura was getting at. "I'm here because me and Ichika were supposed to be training this morning... I came to get him up."

"No... I mean what are you doing here so early, the sedative that I put in your glass of water before you went to sleep should have kept you knocked out for at least another hour." Laura said boldly as she looks past Houki to check the time on the wall clock behind her.

Houki's mouth drops open, an intensive wave of disbelief washed over her as she just stares silently at the girl sitting in front of her, completely gobsmacked on what to say in return. She had been questioning herself as to why she was running close to late this whole morning since the second she woke up and she had never been able to understand why. Now she was being openly told that she had been drugged and that it was the perpetrator that was telling her this with no remorse towards her words what so ever.

Un-flipping believable.

"Y-You drugged me!" She stutters in anger as she glares at Laura who's still looking at her with more innocence than she really has. "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!"

Laura is once again unhindered by Houki's sudden increase in her vocal volume, and shrugs off her last remark with a simple (Humph)

"I was merely taking necessary precautions as to insure that you wouldn't interfere with me and my brides morning. Isn't that right Ich-... Huh!" Laura's voice is cut off when she turned back round to find that Ichika had disappeared from the spot he'd been in the whole time. Even Houki was looking in shock herself... unbelievable... she'd been so consumed by her argument with Laura that she had given him an opportunity to getaway.

Or so Ichika thought.

Instinctively Both Laura and Houki look in the only direction he could have gone and instantly spotted him, encased in his duvet cocoon Ichika was creeping across the floor like a caterpillar of some sort as he desperately made his way towards the bed room window.

"Where the hell do you think you're going!" Houki calls out and instantly busted him.

(Oh crap... I'm dead!)

"Errrr..." was all Ichika could say as he rolls onto his back to see both girls staring at him, Houki's glare clearly showing an intensified amount of pure anger and rage.

"You're not going to be caterpillaring your way out of this Ichika." She scolds as she picks up her Shinai from the floor and points it straight at him.

(This was it... so long world)

Ichika tenses up and closes his eyes in fear right before Houki leaps forth towards him brandishing her weapon. Screaming at the top of her lungs.

"YOU, DIEEEEEEEEEE."

She swings her sword with brutal force. Slashing down on him without a seconds hesitation.

"GAHHHHHH"

The boys screams of pain and agony resounding throughout the entire building.


	3. Unexpected Reception

Ichika sighed as he rubbed his head where Houki's sword had hit. The fight had lasted for a few minutes and even though he had been trapped inside his Duvet cocoon the whole time during the assault it had proved completely useless in defence against Houki and her savage attacks. But even then, he wondered how many times he'd been hit or saved by Laura, who'd partially deployed her IS in order to use the AIC and stop most of Houki's strikes. He sighed again.

The only fortunate upturn to that whole incident was that after the fight, Houki had exerted a fair amount of energy into beating the living daylight out of him. Meaning that when she finally stopped and dragged him along to kendo training she was just a little slower than usual which was a good thing.

But even slowed down though... she still technically beat the living daylight out of him again during training.

What a terrible way to start off the morning.

He glanced at the two girls who sat across him, both of them eating their breakfast. Needless to say, there was an awkward silence between the three of them. He quickly glanced at what the other two were eating, Laura with her bread, corn soup and chicken and Houki with her traditional Japanese set, as he scooped up some rice with his chopsticks, quickly putting it into his mouth before following up with the grilled fish that was the staple of the set.

"Hm? Do you want some as well?" Laura asked, noticing Ichika's glance.

"I'll share some with you… if you want." With that, she picked the bread up with her mouth and leaned in closer to Ichika.

"What's wrong? You can bite it you know?" she said, her voice slightly muffled by the bread in her mouth.

"I-IDIOT! ARE YOU NUTS? THIS IS JUST LIKE KIS-"  
He was cut off by the loud bang of the table being slammed, followed by Houki's voice saying.

"Could you please be more quiet when eating?" There was a rather terrifying smile on her face as she said that, the edges of her lips twitching slightly at the thought of Laura kissing Ichika again, just like she did a few days after the Valkyrie Trace incident right in front of the class.

"Scary face... really scary face." Ichika mumbled under his breath. He couldn't blame her however for being like that, even though that kiss happened during the first year at the academy, and now they were all starting their third and final year here. She's never really come to let it go.

"Are you jealous?" Laura jabbed, her tone more than slightly mocking the black haired girl.

"You're envious because you couldn't do it, right?"  
At that, Houki's face turned red as she suddenly took a large gulp of her miso soup, reaching out at Ichika and hoping to be able to feed him with her mouth.

Why can't I just eat my breakfast normally?

He thought as he tried to tell Houki to stop by using his eyes. But his thoughts were cut short by the sound of the speakers on the walls suddenly turned on in a blare of static, nearly giving him a heart attack. An announcement at this time?

"Attention please. Could all students of Class 1-1 please report to your desks for an important announcement." Said the voice of the teacher over the microphone. The three of them stair up at the wall speaker with the same confused expression on their faces. There has never been a time when students were called to their classes on a Sunday, this was completely unexpected and out of the blue.

What could this announcement possibly be?

"Repeat. All students of Class 1-1 report to your desks. Move it!" Went the speakers again. This time the previous voice was replaced with strong and commanding tone of Chifuyu Orimura. Immediately Ichika's common sense side kicks in.

"We better hurry up and get there. Before she kills us." He said and without thinking the two girls nodded their heads in agreement and decided that they'd leave eating for later.

By the time Ichika, Houki and Laura reach their class they saw that a good majority of the students were already in their seats. Looking over he saw Charlotte was also here looking punctual as ever.

She was probably the first one here.

"Stop daydreaming Orimura and take your seat." Chifuyu commanded as she bonks her little brother over the head with her attendance book to snap his mind back.

"Ow-Yes ma'am." Ichika replied whilst clutching the back of his head which was now aching from the headache he'd just received. He made his way over to his desk and sits down. The only thing left to do now was await for the rest of the class to join for this so called important announcement they were all called for.

A few minutes later the last of Class 1-1 had arrived and were sat down ready to hear what they were here for. The assistant homeroom teacher, Yamada-sensei, entered the class.

"Good morning everyone," she said in her usual, happy voice. But her face soon turned into a slightly awkward expression as she looked at the students.

"Umm… I know that you're all probably wondering why we called you here, so I'll get right to it. As none of you know just now, late last night we had yet another transfer student join the academy. So today, I'll be introducing this student to our class."

There was no immediate response, but after a few seconds Yamanda's words finally sunk in and entire classes eyes suddenly widened in surprise. The same thought on all of their minds.

What? A new student this late in?

At the sudden realisation of this news several of the girls began to gossip, wondering what the new student would be like.

"It's probably another representative contender," Ichika heard one of the students. "But it's quite odd isn't it? Having so many of them in one class I mean."

"Yeah, it would be, but so far we've only had representatives as our transfers. Well except for Luna"

"Hey, hey, maybe it's another boy!" he heard another.

"Impossible. If it was a boy, then wouldn't we have heard it in the news?"

Discussions like those were rapidly becoming widespread throughout the class, and personally, Ichika couldn't really care less what kind of person the new student would be, whether she was a representative contender or not. He only hoped that he wouldn't be on awkward ground with her, or with any other student for that matter. He watched as his sister in her classroom position, her eyes focused on the door as well.

"Alright all of you, settle down."

As the class becomes silent at the tone of her voice, Miss Yamanda turns her head towards the class entrance.

"Umm… You may come in now."

Moments after that, the door opened and the new student walked in.

And everyone in the whole class was shocked.

As the new student comes to a stop and turned to face the rest of the class, the entire room had become speechless.

This is impossible!

This can't be real!

But how could anyone deny it if everyone is seeing it all at the same time?

The new transfer student...

Is a guy!

"Go on, please introduce yourself." Chifuyu's tone was strong yet formal. Ichika looks at the boy standing before the class, it was hard enough to believe that another transfer would join so late into the three course. But the fact that this new student is also a boy.

This... This is just unbelievable.

He watched as the young man turns and nods his head solemnly at Chifuyu, and then sets his eyesight back on the rest of the class.

"Good morning. My name is Jake Jackson, nice to meet you all."

His voice was strong with an American tone, he politely tips his hat to nod in well manner for his classmates, and then straightened himself back up again.

"I'm from the proud state of Texas. I know that I'm starting off here a couple years late, but want you all to know I eagerly anticipate getting to know each and every one of you from here on out." He added with a light smile.

"A… a guy? I'm not seeing things right? He's a real guy… right?"

Looking at the boy in front of the class, several of the girls began to murmur to each other as others began to examine his body. It was well built, rather athletic if anything, and definitely that of a male. His uniform however was different compared with Orimura's, his shoes were a pair of formal black leather ones and his trousers had red trimming around his ankles, his IS academy blazer was somewhat similar to Ichika's one but the collar was both flatter and looser which allowed a more prominent view of the Burgundy coloured shirt and white tie he was wearing. His left eye was covered by a large black eyepatch that shared a similar design to Laura's but his had a dark purple outline across the edges and a black and purple emblem which was unfortunately too small to make out just now, but the biggest thing however that stood out was that black western style hat he was wearing, although after hearing that Jackson was Texan it seemed to make a bit more sense that way. And although at first glance he looked like a fairly tough and intimidating character, the way he was standing was also showing a more prominent sense of proudness and dignity in his overall personality. And his mannerisms said the same.

"Huh? Oh yes. I am a guy."

"WHAT? NO WAY!"

The classroom suddenly erupted into yells and screams, and whatever was being said could probably be heard from the outside.

"A MALE STUDENT! A SECOND MALE STUDENT!"

"AND HE'S IN OUR CLASS (yet again)!"

"AND HE LOOKS LIKE THE KIND YOU CAN LOOK UP TO!"

"AND HE EVEN SAID HE WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING TO KNOW US!"

"OH MY GOD, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING ME TO LIVE HERE!"

Of course, despite his best efforts, Jake who was standing in front of this fiasco, he couldn't help but feel shocked.

Is being a guy here that big of a deal? his face seemed to say, and as he glanced around the class, he made eye contact with the only other boy there. In return, the boy just gave him an awkward smile and Jackson couldn't help but start to softly laugh at the expression.

"So, you must be Ichika Orimura, correct?" He said as he approached the boy sat down at his desk.

As for Ichika, he was slightly taken by surprise. He knew his name, how? But before he had any time to think he looks up to see the new student standing next to his desk, arms folded and looking down at him.

"Uh. Yeah, that's me."

There was a small moment of silence as all eyes locked onto the two boys in the centre of the class, eager to see what was going to happen next. Jackson then smiles brightly at Orimura and reaches his hand out to him.

"I have to say that I've definitely been anticipated to meet you in person. It's great to finally see another Male IS pilot."

That was a surprise for the class. This guy, regardless of the fact that there was multiple girls around him seemed to just go straight to focusing on the only male in the room. Several girls near the back of the class began to murmur gossip again, this time discussing whether or not this new students gender attraction swings the other way. Whilst others were holding back on the sequels they felt coming at the thought that he was trying to hit on Ichika.

But nothing of that sort happened.

Instead Ichika returns Jackson's smile and firmly grasped his hand for a good solid handshake. Actually pretty glad himself to meet another male pilot.

"Ha, I'm glad to say the feeling is likewise." He adds with a respectable expression.

"Orimura, make sure you take care of him. You both are gonna be room mates from today on, and Mr Jackson still requires orientation with the academy."

"Got it," Ichika replied curtly.

"Ahem, as for that. This concludes today's Special Announcement, all of you are welcome to remain here if you have any class work to continue on, if otherwise then enjoy the rest of your weekend. Dismissed."

Chifuyu clapped her hands and dismissed everyone. Who instinctively make their way to the class exit to continue whatever activities they were attending before this all happened.

"Come on Jackson, we better quickly get back to the dorm."

He nodded and Ichika quickly let go of his hand, walking out of the classroom and into the corridor.

"Lemme take a wild guess, we're gonna want to try and avoid any more feminine attention right?"  
Ichika nodded simply at that. It seems that Jackson's mind was as sharp as ever.

"Anyway, follow m-"

"HE'S HERE! EVERYONE, THE TRANSFER STUDENT IS HERE!"

"AND HE'S WITH ORIMURA-KUN TOO!"

The voices of several girls suddenly erupted behind them, and both boys froze. Apparently, the ruckus in their classroom had gathered the attention of curios eavesdroppers from the other classes.

"Oh shit… This ain't good." was all Jackson could say before Ichika broke off into a run.

"Run for it!"

With that, they both ran down the corridor, Jackson holding his hat down with one hand as they move at full pelt… only to be blocked by more girls emerging from another hallway.

"THEY'RE HERE! EVERYONE!"

In a split second, even more girls came out from the halls behind them, quickly barricading the pathway. It seemed the entire academy was listening to the announcement.

"OH GOD THIS WAY!"

Ichika suddenly dashed forward, seemingly running towards the wall of girls before suddenly taking a sharp left turn into a conjoining corridor.

"Okay good… NOT GOOD!"

More girls came out of the corridor, and from behind several of the girls had begun to chase them.

"Quick. This way, we can hide in here!"

And apparently, Jackson had found a good spot to hide for the time being. Quickly turning the corner, Ichika immediately followed Jackson, who instantly took another left and dived into an empty janitors closet before shutting the door behind them. Following suit, they waited for a few moments before they could hear the girls that were chasing them run past, several stopping in confusion at the two boys who had suddenly gone missing, before finally calling off their pursuit and leaving.

"Why's everyone making such a big deal anyway? I thought they would have at least been used to you?" Saying this, Jake emerges from the shadows of the closet and gestured for Ichika to lead the way.

"Well… the girls here don't interact with others of the opposite gender... And seeing that we are the only two males in the world that can activate an IS, it's bound to cause a bit of a ruckus."

"You call that a bit? That was a stampede and a half if I ever saw one."

Ichika laughed a bit at that and began to walk, taking the corridors that led to their dorm room.

"Oh well, at least we lost them."

Walking in silence for the next minute, both of them, under Jacksons instruction, ducked underneath the window sills of any rooms that were still containing any occupants in order to avoid detection, and soon enough, they arrived at their destination. With a twist of the handle Ichika opened the door. Jake took a moment to look up at the room number above the doorframe.

Room 1025, my new home.

"What the?"

His thoughts However are cut off by the sound of Orimura's voice calling out from the room. Jake tilts his head in confusion as to why the other boy was sounding so surprised about something and then makes his way into the room.

He comes to a stop just behind Ichika, looking over his shoulder he saw that four large black cases (roughly a quarter the size of the bed mattresses) piled up in two small stacks at the far side of the room. Ichika stands there in silence as he tried to figure out how the heck these things got into his room. Whereas Jake on the other hand smiles brightly at the sight of the cases.

"Ah, my stuff's been dropped off. Hmm that was faster than I was expecting." He said enthusiastically as he walks past Ichika and began to unstack the cases.

"You really have a lot of stuff, Jackson." He hears Ichika saying in the background as he sat down on his bed behind him. "Is all of that your clothes or something?"

Jake shakes his head to answer his question, and without wasting time he starts putting in the combination codes for the locks on the cases.

"Frayed not. A lot of this stuff is work related, some of it are my clothes and hobby related things... But mostly work." He said as he finished putting the last code in and lifts the lid off of one of the large cases. Ichika is slightly taken by surprise by what he saw, inside the case was a series of fairly sized monitors that were all encased in bubble wrap. In the next case that Jackson opened was a massive hard drive desktop paired with a keyboard, mouse and all the cables required to hookup everything. The third case was mostly filled with his rather nice closet selection of designer clothes, but on the top of them was a clear plastic box containing a wireless router and a bunch of what appeared to be semi-sphere like objects. Jake however left the fourth case alone and said that, that was the one with his hobbyist things in it, so Ichika didn't ask any questions about it.

It seemed that Jake was just focusing on setting up his monitor system just for now.

"You need any help with anything, Jackson?" Ichika asked. Jake stopped for a few seconds and thought if there was anything his roommate could do, but in the he just smiled at him whilst shaking his head.

"Nah, I'll manage just fine Orimura, but thanks for the offer." He said, kindly respecting his roommates intention to just help him settle in quicker.

"You know Orimura, you don't have to waste the rest of your day now that I'm in here." He suddenly added straight after.

"Huh?"

"I'm just going to stay in here for the rest of the day for now. I've got quite a few things I need to set up just now, and I don't want to feel like I'm just confining you to your room."

"But Chifuyu said I had to take care of you. She'd kill me." Ichika said, shuddering slightly at the thought of being hit over the head again by Chifuyu's attendance book. Jake chuckles lightly at him.

"She won't if you tell her I said I was staying here." Jake said, his voice sounding pretty confident that he was right. Sitting on his bed, Ichika thinks about the idea, then looks back at Jake.

"You sure?" He asked just one more time to make sure. Jake nods his head solemnly.

"Yeah, I'm sure."

Convinced that his roommate was fine, Ichika gets up from his bed and decided that he would go for a walk around the campus then to pass the time.

"Okay, but if there's anything you need then don't be afraid to say anything."

"Sure... Oh wait actually there is one thing that I could ask of you." Jake suddenly said, his voice stopped Ichika just as he was about to leave the room.

"Sure, what is it?" He asked as he turned his head back to look at Jake. Who was now looking a little bit nervous for some reason, as if he thought that what he was about ask was silly or something.

"Well, it's just that after today's little marathon run, I think that me leaving this room before tomorrow comes isn't the best of ideas just now. And seeing that I haven't actually eaten anything today. If it's no problem with you could-."

"Say no more Jackson." Ichika cuts in, and smiles at Jake. It made sense that it would be a bit of a problem if the girls started to swarm him again when he should really be getting settled in and ready for class tomorrow. And as his roommate Ichika took it as a moral responsibility to help Jake out in any way possible. "I'll bring back some diner for both of us and we'll just eat in here later."

A warm smile spreads across Jakes face, the kind that made him feel lucky to have someone as modest as Ichika as his roommate. "Thanks Orimura. Your modesty and kindness is highly respected."

After placing the monitor he was holding got in his hands on the table, Jake puts his palms together and does a traditional Japanese bow to show his gratitude. Ichika smiles back at him.

"No problem Jackson. And you can just call me Ichika, alright."

"Alright."

And on those last words Ichika opens the door and leaves the room, closing the door in order to let Jake finish up unpacking.

The rest of the day went on pretty normally from there on out for Ichika... Well, at least mostly normal. After he'd just started his second stroll of the campus he was suddenly swarmed by a group of first year students who had overheard the news of Jackson's arrival and were desperate to here from him about what he was like, seeing that they also evidently heard that he was sharing a room with him. He'd manage to reason with the swarm by telling them that now wasn't the best time, and there was plenty of time tomorrow to meet him but right now Jake was just getting settled in. Then no more than an hour after lunch had ended, he had a run in with Chifuyu who quickly turned out to be less than pleased when she saw that Jackson wasn't there with him. Fortunately after explaining what both Ichika and Jake discussed in the dorm, he was able to come out of that fatal encounter with nothing but a few firm words rather than a bash to the skull... Secretly he thanked Jake for being right about that happening for a few moments in his mind.

He hadn't seen much of Houki or the other girls after that announcement when Jake was introduced during the day. It was likely that they had all gone off to deal with whatever else they had planned for today, and as time slowly ticked away dinner time finally arrived.

After picking up the food Ichika navigates his way back through the corridors that lead back to his dorm. In one hand he was carrying his tray which consisted his traditional Japanese dinner, and in the other was the Chinese fried chicken balls egg fried rice and sweet n sour sauce that he'd picked for Jackson. As he got closer to the dorm Ichika wondered if Jake had finished his unpacking by now. He'd been in that room the entire day since he arrived at the academy and wondered what he must have been doing all this time. After a few more minutes of walking Ichika finally reached his destination, with careful handling not to drop anything he opened the door and enters the room.

"Jackson. I'm back, I brought you back some food." He called out, but Jake wasn't in the room anymore, And all he could see was his uniform all neatly folded up at the end of his bed and his western hat set next to it. Then Ichika noticed the sound of water running through the pipelines in the walls. It seemed that Jake was taking a shower just now.

Ichika placed the two trays on the table and sat on his bed whilst he waited for Jake to finish showering, But then he looked over to the left of the room and he eyes widened.

"Whoa..." was all he could stutter out.

It appeared that Jackson had finished constructing his monitor system, and damn it was big. Ichika just stares at the six twenty-four inch monitors that are all positioned in a curved formation of three wide and two high that sat on the table on Jackson's side of the dorm. The hard drive desktop was discreetly placed on the left side of the screens and the keyboard and mouse sat right in the optimum position where they offered the best view of all six monitors.

"That's what Jackson calls his work related stuff... It looks more like a gaming enthusiasts secret weapon." Ichika muttered under his voice, he was a little shocked if honest as wondered why Jackson would have so much tech in here if he's only starting now in the final year.

What he possibly need it for?

However Ichika quickly decided there that he should stop being so nosey about it, if Jackson was fine with setting all this stuff up knowing that he'd be sharing a room with him then he was sure he would find out in natural time, And with that concluded he turns his attention back towards his roommate in the shower. He'd already taken a shower himself at the Kendo facility earlier on so he was fine, but he had something he wanted to ask the other boy. He heard the high pitched noise of the shower cap being shut and slightly tensed, steeling himself to ask that one question he hadn't managed to ask from the other boy yet. He heard the door click open and watched as the other boy walked out of the bathroom, the towel still around his shoulders soaking up the last of the water. He was in a pair of dark grey Super Dry tracksuits which he had put on. Ichika looks up at him and noticed something, he didnt realise that Jake was a natural red head. Then again it was hard to considering that he'd been wearing that western hat the whole time.

"Sup Ichika, how's things just now." He said through a happy expression as he stands in front of Ichika.

"Hey Jackson, pretty good. I brought back some f-." Suddenly the sound of a high pitched squeal rings through the air, giving both the boys a good startling. Looking back both of them see that Ichika had forgot to shut the door and now several girls from the other rooms were peeking to get a glimpse at the new student.

All of them wearing the same excited Yet slightly flustered look on their faces.

Probably something to do with the fact that Jake wasn't wearing anything from the waist up, and that his upper body's rather impressive physical appeal was now exposed.

"Look, There's Jackson-kun."

"So he really is sharing a room with Orimura."

"Oh my, he's a red head. That's pretty cute."

"Wow, did you see how muscular his back is."

"Whoa, check out his abs. He's so cut."

"I bet he's really, really strong."

"Oh... I think I'm going to faint." One girl places her backhand on her forehead and begins to sway from side to side. Jake stands completely motionless as he doesn't know how to react to what's happening. Luckily Ichika comes to his aid, getting up from his bed he makes his way to the door.

"Alright, alright girls come. Give him a break, you'll all get to see him tomorrow but for now that's all." He said through a light smile as he's begins to close the door.

"Awwwwwww." several of the girls said in unison, sounding pretty unhappy as the door finally shuts. Jake's still standing in his original spot as Ichika turned to face him, and chuckles softly at the surprised expression that was glued to his face.

"Errr... How long am I going to have to endure this intensive level of attention." He said rubbing the back of his head. Ichika rubs his chin with his thumb as he thinks for a moment, but honestly thought if he was realistic there was a pretty high factor that Jake wasn't going like the answer.

"Hmmm. I say maybe a week, then things should die down by then."

"What! A whole week." Jake stuttered out, his eye widened in shock. He was hoping that Ichika was joking, but judging by tone of his voice. He clearly wasn't.

"Urgh..." Jake groans as he toppled back onto his mattress, his arms spread out as he looks up at the ceiling. "How in Gods name did you survive two years here?"

Ichika couldn't help but laugh at that. It seems that Jake had underestimated how tough it was here for a boy. "To tell you the truth Jackson. Even I don't know."

He could hear the chuckle of his roommate who was rather amused by that answer, which made Ichika glad that he lightened his mood a bit.

"Anyway, I brought dinner back for us. So let's eat."

At the sound of the word food, Jakes face lights up instantly and he shoots up from his laying pose.

"Oh great." He beams. Ichika smiles a bit at his reaction and hands Jake the tray that was holding his dinner. "Thanks Ichika, no words can describe how hungry I am feeling right now."

Both boys sit on the edge of their beds facing each other, before they started Jake puts his hands together in gratitude for the food, and Ichika couldn't help but believe the boy who sat before him had to have been one of the most unexpectedly well mannered ones he'd ever met. Unclasping his hands, he quickly took the knife and fork.

"Itadakimasu!" Jake hears Ichika say to him.

"Itadakimasu!" He replied, although his pronouncing of the word could do with some practice.

Both boys dig into their food, eating at their own pace. For the majority of the time they were quite quiet and didn't speak that much. Taking a mouthful of rice Ichika looks up to see Jake dipping one of the chicken balls into his sweet n sour sauce and then roll it into the egg fried rice which sticks to the battered outside of it. A few more minutes of eating passed by before Ichika decided to ask his roommate that question he'd been wanting to ask pretty much since the moment he met him.

"Ahh, hey, Jackson, I just remembered," He said after finishing off the last of his dinner. "Seeing that you're here, it must mean that you must've accidentally activated an IS somewhere right?"

Ichika received no response from Jake, who suddenly appeared to be deep in thought With something.

"Jackson?"

"Huh, oh, hey, sorry bout that what's up?"

"You activated an IS too, didn't you?"

"Huh? Oh, about that," He let out a small, awkward laugh before adding, "It's actually a little more complicated than that."

"Huh, how so?" Ichika asked as he had suddenly become more curious than before.

"Well-." Jake starts but it almost immediately cut off by a long yawn that had suddenly creeped up on him. He turned to look at the digital wall clock to see the time.

10:43pm

"I think that it would be better if I explained it to you tomorrow. I'm sorry Ichika, but I'm exhausted from traveling to here and there is so much I've got to tell you in order to make any sense of it." Jake said, he gets up from his bed and placed his empty tray on the table next to his desktop modules. "It's not a problem is it?"

"No, Of course not." Ichika replied as he gets up himself and placed his tray next to Jackson's one. "I could understand that you would be pretty tired after just arriving from so far overseas. I can easily wait."

"Thanks, Ichika." Jake said solemnly as he flops back on his bed, staring back up to the ceiling as sleep and jet lag began to take over. Ichika replied with a silent smile as he retired to his own bed for tonight. Today had been a busy day for everyone, and to be honest tomorrow was going to be just as busy.

For now, it was time to rest up for the next day.

"Night, Jackson."

"Night, Ichika... Oh and one more thing." Jake suddenly added.

"Yeah?"

"You can just call me JJ from now on."

"That your nickname?"

"Uh huh, to be honest both my first and last names sound a little too formal for me. So I don't mind you calling me by my nickname."

"Sure thing then, see you in the morning... JJ."


	4. Meeting the Machine

The next morning two boys were in the cafeteria quickly taking the set breakfasts that they had chose and finding a seat, bringing their trays with them- Ichika with his "Traditional Japanese set" and Jake with his rather more healthy "Oatmeal and brand flakes set". Sitting down, Jake looks at Ichika with a smile as he picks up his spoon.

"Itadakimasu!" He said, his pronunciation of the word a little better than his previous attempt last night. Ichika returns the smile.

"Itadakimasu!"

Both boys dug into their food, eating at their own paces. It had been a little bit of a surprising morning for Ichika, as it turned out that Jackson was actually just as much an early bird as Houki probably was. This being proved by the fact that when Ichika had just began to awaken, Jackson had already gotten up, had a shower, got dressed and was just simply passing the time by sitting on the side of his bed while guzzling down a healthy protein shake he'd made earlier on.

"So how long have you been on protein shakes, JJ?" Ichika asked after finishing a mouthful of rice.

"Hmmmm, bout a year and a half by now." Jake answers before taking in a large spoonful of oatmeal, and then washing it down with the glass of semi-skimmed milk he'd picked.

"I've always sorta taken my exercise and diet quite seriously, it's really the only thing that's gotten me in the shape I'm in now." He added

"Well, you better take it easy on that. The girls already think you look good. If you keep it up you might end up in such good shape, you'll be magnetising their attention for good." Ichika cackles as he threw out that little joke. Jackson on the other hand, stops midway through bringing another spoonful of oatmeal to his mouth after he heard that. He looks at the boy sat next to him who was smiling quite brightly as he was clearly amused by the reaction he got out of him.

Jackson then smirks at him.

"Oh, I think I'll survive. Though I appreciate your honesty that you think I'm better looking than you." He retorts with his own little comeback, before eating another spoonful of his oatmeal.

"Huh, wha-." Ichika is unable to find a way return the comeback. Instead Jackson who was feeling pretty victorious lets out a bright chuckle and gives Ichika a strong pat on shoulder, enjoying the banter with him.

The two boys let off a good laugh with each other, neither of them really that bothered that a few students were watching them.

Meanwhile, five girls sat at a table relatively far away, quietly observe the two boys. Two blondes, one silver haired, one brunette and one black haired girl- looking at them from a distance, they seemed an odd bunch.

"Guhh… Who the heck is he and why is he acting all friendly with Ichika?" Rin asked, biting her chopsticks as she spoke.

"He's the new transfer student that came in yesterday. And he's from Texas." Houki said, the gravity of her tone indicating that she was pretty displeased about it as well.

"An American, huh, I guess that explains that hat he's wearing. What's his name?" Rin said, keeping the boy who sat beside Ichika locked in her sight.

"His name... I think it was Jackson." this time it was Charlotte.

"Ugh... His name alone just reeks of Americanism." Cecilia chipped in.

"I'm more curious about that eyepatch of his, I wonder what he's hiding behind it." Laura adds into the conversation.

"Well, I'm not happy with how friendly he's being with Ichika. I don't know about you guys but I don't want another rival popping up…" And back to Rin.

"I agree, let's just hope he's straight!" Cecilia suddenly said again, drawing strange looks from the other four.

As the five of them pondered the thought, Both Jake and Ichika continue on with their meals.

"Hey JJ, yesterday you said that when you activated an IS, it was more complicated than that. What did you mean by that?" Ichika said bringing up the talk he was having last night.

But like last night he received no response from Jackson, he'd spaced out of reality again and was looking somewhere away from Ichika.

"JJ?"

"Wah, yeah, sorry, what's up?"

"So… how'd it happen?"

"Happen what?"

"Activating an IS."

"Oh… I'll tell you, but I'd much appreciate it if those girls over there would stop staring at me like I'm some kind of hostile," he said, pointing at the group of five girls who seemed to be staring at him with murderous intent. Or maybe they were glaring at Ichika? Either way, he felt their gazes upon him and was slightly pushed out of his comfort zone, although right after pointing at them, they all seemed to hurriedly shift their attention back to their food.

"Huh? Them? Nah, they won't hurt you."

"Why do I feel like I shouldn't trust that," Jackson continued, resting his cheek in his palm.

"...? Anyway.."

Without thinking, Ichika called the five of them over, and they all seemed shocked for a moment before picking up their trays and joining the duo on the table. They sat down and stared intently at Jackson, waiting for him to make a move.

"Ahh… I guess I should introduce myself. My name, as I've said before, is Jake Jackson, but just call me JJ for short. Nice to meet you."

Following him, the silver haired girl started.

"I'm Laura, Laura Bodewig. That is all."

"I'm Cecilia Alcott, the one and only, England's glorious Representative Contender."

He nodded in acknowledgement at both of them, repeating their names five times in his head and committing it to memory.

"My name is Houki, Houki Shinonono. Nice to meet you."

He nodded yet again, and then, looks at next blonde girl.

"I'm Charlotte Dunois, nice to meet you," she smiled kindly at him as she said that.

And Jackson smiles back.

"Nice to meet you as well, I remember seeing some of you girls in the class I was introduced in." He said, then he set his eyes on the last of the girls. "However I don't quite recognise this young lady here. I take it your from another class, correct?"

"That's right, I'm Huang Lingyin, or Rin, for short. I'm China's representative Contender, and Ichika's second childhood friend." She said sounding pretty proud of her statement. Jackson eyes widened slightly in surprise, and then he turns to Ichika.

"You never told me you were childhood friends with a representative Contender." He said, poking Ichika's side with his elbow. "Man, if you ever ended up in a bad situation. I bet you'd be glad to have backup like that."

The other four girls began to stare at Ichika now, their eyes boring holes into him. Clearly waiting to hear how he was going to answer Jackson's question.

But instead, he quickly changes the subject.

"Err... anyway, so tell us JJ, how'd it happen?" Ichika asked, still continuing his questioning.

"Ahh… I think… that can wait till later" Saying this, he quickly glanced at the girls, and a slightly nervous expression could be seen, despite his attempts to hide it.

Picking up on this, Ichika tried to reassure him.

"Hmm? Oh, them? No, they won't hurt you."

"You sure?"

"Yeap."

"Very sure?"

"We're still right here you know… What is it?" A now restless Houki asked.

"Nothing... It's just." Jackson stutters slightly as he rakes his mind for a reasonable answer.

After a moment of silence he began to speak again.

"The IS I had the incident with... Was a piloted prototype that was developed using technology that later became interpreted with a certain type of unmanned IS unit. I don't really like talking about it that much."

"How come?" Charlotte asked, her curiosity growing greatly as was the rest of the tables. Jackson just looked at her with a slightly more serious expression than before.

"Because the project that was inspired by that IS, went horribly wrong. A lot of the information about the incident are still classified, but I can tell you the codename for the Unit that was involved in that event..." Jackson paused for a moment, the eyes of everyone who was sitting at table were locked on him, their ears perked up as they await the next words to come out of his mouth. They then hear out of the faintest murmur from him.

"Unit: I-S-X-C-S-006 Codenamed: Silver Angel."

The six of them sat back for a second and ponder on the last two words that they'd heard.

(Silver Angel?)

Jackson could see it as clear as day that they were really thinking heavily about it, like they should know what this IS that was involved was really called.

"JJ..." Ichika murmured out to the boy sitting next to him, trying not to gain the attention of any of the girls sitting at the tables around theirs. Jackson turned to see him looking straight at him with both the most curious, yet worried expressions on his face.

"Are you talking about the Silverio Gospel?"

Ichika's words immediately cause the rest of the girls at the table to snap out of their individual train of thoughts and return their states back to him, their eyes boring into him as they wait for him to answer. Jackson is slightly put off comfort by this sudden barrage of staring, but he'd figured that there was no going back now and answers with a short breath.

"Yes..."

At the sound of that last word, a feeling of pure shock spread throughout the table. Neither Ichika or the others had ever forgotten about the Gospel mission, or the trouble it caused for then. And before Jackson knew it, every single girl, and Ichika, were intently staring at him, telling him to go on.

"What's with this look, you guys…?"

"Tell us now, what was your involvement with the creating of that thing!" Laura's voice was sharp and commanding.

"What, I didn't…"

He cleared his throat and sorted out his mind in order to clear thing up. But before he could begin, the sharp sound of hands being clapped together echoed through the cafeteria. The seven of them who'd been slightly startled by the sound, all turn back to see Chifuyu standing behind them in her IS academy practical clothing. The expression on her face said more than enough.

"Less talking, more chewing people. Today class 1-1 and 1-2 are joining together for advanced Manoeuvre, and evasion practice today. So hurry up."

"Yes ma'am." The group said in unison. Ichika and Jackson had already finished their breakfast by that point so luckily they had a head start on the other girls.

"Come on JJ, lets get ready quickly."

"Sure thing bud, lead the way." He said gesturing Ichika to lead the way.

It appeared to Jackson's fortune that he'd been saved by Miss Orimura, or at least for now. As he was about to walk off he suddenly felt the tight grip of someones hand grasping his shoulder, and he is violently spun run round to see that Rin had stopped him. She was staring straight into his uncovered eye with her most intimidating of looks, the rest of the girls behind her sharing similar expressions which aimed solely to push Jackson even further out of his comfort zone.

"We will be finishing this conversation when lunch arrives, so don't you dare try and run off. Got it." Rin said, her voice almost as sharp as Laura's. But Jackson is however unhindered by her attempt to scare him, instead his expression turns to a calm yet firm face of understandment as he nods his head slightly in acknowledgment, before he turns back round to follow Ichika who had already made his way toward the locker rooms.

Walking in silence for the next minute, they soon enough arrived at their destination. With a slight hiss of depressurization, the airlock door to the changing room opened. Why there was a need for such a thing remained a mystery to Ichika, but he'd grown familiar to the sound, so much so that he began to like it.

"Ahh…"

Looking at the clock, Ichika let out an involuntary sigh.

"Hurry up and change, we're gonna be late," he warned, but when he looked at Jackson, he could see that the other boy was already taking off his own shirt.

"Dammit, don't just start without saying anything!"

Saying this, Ichika quickly began to change.

"What do you expect me to do? Your sister is scary, and I don't want to die just yet," Jackson replied with a slight chuckle.

"How'd you know that she's my sister?" Ichika asked.

"It doesn't take tweedle dee and tweedle dumb to figure that one out. Considering that you're both Orimura's." Jackson replied as he starts putting his suit on. Within moments both boys were done with their change of clothes and were stuffing their uniforms into the lockers. Well, apart from Jackson's hat which he left on top of the locker seeing that it wouldn't fit.

"Huh?" Ichika said as he turned to see Jackson who was standing behind him.

"I've never seen that type of suit before." He stated as he passes his eyes over the boy stood before him. Jackson's skin tight IS piloting suit was a full body one piece design that only left his head and hands exposed, his feet were covered by a pair of IS pilot trainers. The entire suit was jet black and lined with midnight purple trimming that ran across the stitching. On Jackson's chest was a large and intricately designed emblem of a black and purple shield with two rather futuristic swords with lightning wrapping around the blades that were crossed against one another In front of the shield.

The exact same emblem that was on his eyepatch.

"It's my custom fitted suit, manufactured by FEISAR."

Ichika's eyes widened slightly after hearing that.

"Wait, FEISAR. You mean FEISAR as in the enhanced IS Private Security Contractors corporation... Your one of them!"

Jackson nods, confirming his suspicion. Ichika had heard of FEISAR before, they were one of the most renowned corporations in the world for for supplying Private Security IS units for some of the worlds most prestigious VIP's, from Presidents to Prime Ministers. When it came to personal IS protection, the pilots of FEISAR truly were in a leigh of their own.

But what was JJ's involvement with them? Ichika soon got his answer.

"Uh huh. I'm one their top Ace pilots, and the leader to their newly developed Squadron."

"Squadron?"

"Recently, FEISAR has begun development towards updating their IS units to stay ahead of the competition. My squadron's Personal Units are the first successful prototype units to be upgraded, but they now require more data on the other IS models in order to compare statistics. So that's where I come in, you see Ichika. I was sent here to observe the representative contenders and their machines to collect that data, because right now I'm the only one from FEISAR that is just as formidable as them to ensure as successful operation."

After hearing Jackson explain that to him, it all suddenly began to make better sense to Ichika.

"Oh I see, now I totally get it."

"Huh, what do you mean by that?" Jackson asked sounding a little surprised by how Ichika was reacting to the situation.

"I'm just saying, I could never really understand why you were joining the academy so late, but after hearing that you it makes better sense. You're here to study my friends and their personal units in order for you corporations research to continue." Ichika said, gestures Jackson in the direction of the sixth arena where class would be starting soon.

"So I'm guessing because you're also an Ace pilot, it means you have one too huh?" Ichika grinned, showing off his own white, blue and yellow bracer.

"Yep. She's right here." Jackson replied, smiling as he taps his finger on his eyepatch. That was a bit of a surprise for Ichika as he wasn't expecting an IS in standby mode to actually be as well discuses as that.

Entering the arena just in time, both boys dashed towards Class 1's line, quickly taking their positions and standing to attention as they awaited instructions from their teacher, and as the final few girls arrived in the line, Chifuyu instantly spoke up.

"Today we'll first be watching a practical battle that focuses on high speed evasion and manoeuvring. Fan, Alcott, up front, now."

Without thinking, both Cecilia and Rin stepped out of the line and moved to the front, the two of them deploying their personal units the (Shenlong) and (Blue Tears) before they stood against one another ready for battle, but as they prepare themselves, Chifuyu said something unexpected.

"Alright girls, you're going to be teaming up for this exercise. Now let's meet your opponent, Jackson you're up."

Her sudden statement brought forth a surprised reaction from basically every student in the row right now, and as Jackson steps out of the line and made his way to the front, even he could not comprehend what was going on. The only ones that seemed in affected by Chifuyu's statement was herself, Miss Yamanda and Ichika.

"Jackson-kun has a personal unit as well." He hears one of the girls murmur to the others. "I wonder what type of unit it is?

"I bet it looks super cool."

"I wonder what generation it is?"

Discussions like those were rapidly becoming widespread throughout the group, and as Jackson had reached the front the entire group (bar Ichika) was gossiping.

"Alright everyone, calm it down," Chifuyu suddenly said, clapping her hands together to silence the girls. "I would like you to deploy your personal IS and show us what you're capable of."

Seeing Chifuyu grin like that, Jackson soon seemed to understand why she picked him. He didn't really think about it thought, because he couldn't help but feel that he already knew why.

With that, Jackson closed his eyes and his eyepatch began to glow white and the bright burst of light quickly engulfed his entire body. The sound of metallic components folding and locking into place could be heard from behind the light, and when it finally subsidied a few seconds later he was floating just a foot from the ground. He was donned in a jet black and midnight purple IS, with a rather intimidating picture of (Two swords enveloped in purple lightning) that were painted on the front of his upper wings. And even some of the girls felt a slight chill run down their backs when they saw that the armour plating that covered Jackson's entire lower jaw was crafted to replicate the jaw of a skull, only adding to the intimidating persona that this IS seemed to possess.

"This is my personal IS, (Storm Ghost)." He said proudly.

The entire group stood wide eyed in surprise at the sight of Jackson, as the armour of his personal IS had wrapped around his entire body and completely covered him from head to toe. Several of the girls began whispering their initial thoughts on the IS hovering in front of them, whilst others started examining the way it wrapped around its pilot. It was a heat resistant insulation under layer made of C.N.T ( .Tube) muscle fibre, which was conjoined by a series of hardened ceramic plating, Carbon infused Kevlar, reinforced titanium and ademantium on the exo-structure, the components were all arranged in a complex structural configuration that allowed Jackson to freely move his body without leaving any part of him exposed to the outer elements. The only section of him that remained uncovered was the right side of his face as an armoured plate in his helmet had been locked in place to hide the left side of his head, where his eyepatch would have been.

The design of his unit sparks up several murmurs in the group.

"Is, that it?" Charlotte whispers to Cecilia and Laura. "Is that the prototype IS he told us about in the cafeteria?"

"It would appear so, it seems to have some similarities the one he said it lead to the development of, if one observes more closely." Cecilia chipped in as she examined the IS that hovered before everyone.

"Even if that is so, no matter what way we look at it. Mr Jackson clearly owns an IS none of us have ever seen the likes of." Laura concluded, and she was right. This truly was an IS of High Caliber.

Their murmurs could be heard easily by Jackson, whose senses were dramatically heightened by the proximity hyper-sensors, but he didn't show any sign of reactions whatsoever. It was true, that his IS was indeed the very same Prototype Unit that lead to the creating of the Gospel some time later, but if one was to look more closely they would see many major difference between the two models.

Firstly, his leg armour had some slight telltale signs of resembling Charlottes (Raffle Revive II) but was noticeably thinner and more well rounded at the knee section giving it a more sleek and aerodynamic look. However the armour around his arms were slightly thicker than the leg sections and had been angled in order to maximise deflection from small arms fire, but at the same time it looked like his angled armour could counter act as close range melee weapons due to the two large, smooth spike like tips that passed his wrists and elbows. On his waist were armour pieces that had shallower angles in order to guard the crotch and spinal section. He had four wings which were connected via a series of orb-like structures that joined to his back armour, the wings were positioned in a Delta Swept formation which worked on increasing aerodynamics for top end speed and racked up a total of twelve thrusters, four in the lower wings and two in the upper ones seeing that they were slightly shorter. There were three holes on the top of each wing, which right now were covered (probably canons of some sort) and at the tips of each wing were two curved, sharpened blade-like metal plates which also looked like wing daggers of some kind, that could also be used as weapons. He wasn't holding any weapons in his hands at the moment, but everyone could see that there was a handle of some sort sticking out from behind the his head, and it didn't take anyone that long to spot that it was the handle of a long sword that was about an arms width, being stored within a sheath which was connected the Jackson's back

Jackson noticed that despite there were many aspects to his IS that had caused pretty much all the group around him to just gaze in astonishment the sight of him, it seemed that most of them were staring at one thing in particular, the most intimidating looking of all Jacksons weapons. Reaching over his left shoulder and aiming slightly upwards in standby mode was a eight foot long jet black barrel that connected to a mechanism behind him in order to both hold it in place and move as well. At first glance it appeared to be a simple artillery canon, but when the group spotted a two inch thick insulated power cable fixed to the back end of the weapon and run off somewhere behind Jackson, the realisation sinks in as they suddenly discovered that it was something far, far more powerful.

It was a mid to long range H.V.R (High Velocity Railgun.)

He let out a small smirk when noticed that even both Rin and Cecilia were looking at him with the same surprised look on their faces as the rest of the group, but their expressions soon sober up when the realisation of the situation sunk into both of them.

"Wait, hold on just a moment. Miss Orimura you can't really be serious, right?" Cecilia said, her tone prominent with disbelief.

"Yeah... He's just a freshman, and you're sending him up against two Representative Contenders?" Rin added in, sounding equally just as shocked.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that." Chifuyu says through a small smirk, her voice was carrying a tone of sarcasm in it. She then turned to set her sight on Jackson.

"If Mr Jackson's performance records are as accurate as they're implied, then I'm sure he'll be a good enough opponent of fight you two. Combined."

And with that said, Chifuyu ordered the three of them to climb to one hundred and fifty feet and begin the simulation. Spurred by the confidence in Miss Orimur's last statement, both Rin and Cecilia mentally accepted that this was going to be happening and nod at their instructor to physically show they understood. They quickly engaged their thrusters and perform a controlled climb to the requested altitude, then turn their attention to the jet black and midnight purple IS that soon followed up and was now hovering before them.

"Before we begin." Cecilia spoke out to gain the attention of her opponent, who's uncovered eye now turned to look at her. "I just want you to know that I am not going to hold back."

"Yeah. Don't think that we'll go easy on you just because you're a freshman." Rin chipped in before she draws her (Shenlong's) Souten Gagetsu. Jackson looks at the pair of Chinese scimitar which Rin combined to double-bladed form and stood ready to fight. But his expression just simply shifted to a small smirk.

"Hmhmhm... good, because I would have to say. You two wouldn't be much good as representatives for your country's if you went easy on your opponent." He suddenly threw out. His comment completely caught the two girls off and their faces both turned to slight shock before they quickly began to shift into more annoyed expressions.

"Oh I dear say, you seem to have a bit of a comedians attitude." Cecilia said in her usual calm manner, however her eyebrow twitches slightly in anger towards the boy who had just spoken to her. "But I think it's time to show you that this is not a comedy act that you're participating in."

"That's right." Rin added in, showing her anger towards him with a deadly glare. "So if you want to see what a representative who doesn't hold back is like."

"THEN LETS SHOW YOU." The two girls scream out in unison, and before Jackson knew it, the they executed their attack on him. He saw (Blue Tears) fly back in order to gain some distance to strike, while the (Shenlong) comes charging straight for him at high speed. Jackson prepared for the close combat engagement. He draws his blade from the sheath it was contained in, positions himself into a defensive stance and the remaining metal plate in his helmet slide over and lock into place. His entire body was now completely sealed within the IS.

As Rin had closed the gap, she quickly does a three hundred and sixty degree spin, swinging her Souten Gagetsu towards the black and purple IS with brutal force. But Jackson sees her move from a mile off and leans hard left, effortlessly dodging the attack and causing Rin's blade to pass by him. In retaliation Rin quickly twisted her body and brings the other end of her double bladed weapon round for a second attempt to strike, but Jackson deflected her attack with the dull side of his sword whilst using small bursts from his thrusters to evade.

"Damnit... Hold still." Rin snapped in frustration as she continued her relentless assault against Jackson. The two IS units become locked into an intense battle of both brute force and finesse, as Rin swings her dual bladed weapon in a magnificent display of martial arts skill, her blades barely visible due to how fast she was moving, while Jackson continues to evade her deadly blows using his IS's impressive Manoeuvrability, dodging left then right and ducking with razor edged precision and as Rin reluctantly bombarded him with strike after strike, her weapon kept missing him by mere inches every single time.

Inside his Unit, Jackson tries to figure his opponents movement to see if their was a weakness in her tactic which he could exploit, but unfortunately it was proving that he wasn't going to find one soon. As he dodges one attack and tried to get round the (Shenlong) to strike at her flanks, Rin just counters with the other end of her double edged weapon, forcing him to deflect it with his own sword or dodge at the last second.

She had Jackson playing completely defensive.

"This is useless, I'll never be able to use my weapons effectively is she keeps blocking me with that thing." He thinks to himself as he refuses to stay still for so much as a second in order to prevent his attacker from shaving any chunks off his shield. "At this rate, she'll hit me sooner than later. I need open a gap between us."

Jackson tries to use his thrusters to push him back and away from Rin after another one of her failed attempts to hit him, but Rin sees his intentions and tried to take advantage of his move. Engaging her thrusters, she charges at him again at high speed and drives her Souten Gagetsu forward in a stabbing motion, aiming straight for the Black Units chest armour. Jackson barely reacted in time, bringing his Sword up he swings with well timed precision and hits the tip of Rin's blade, knocking the (Shenlong's) attack off course and he counters by spinning to his left, causing Rin to shoot past him, the razor bladed edges of his wing daggers barely skimming her armour.

He quickly turns round to face Rin as she passes by and moves in to strike at her while she was venerable, aiming for her armoured back-plates.

His Proximity Hyper-sensor's suddenly identify something coming in from behind him, quickly noticing the warning, He instinctively dodges as three bright blue beams of energy shoot past his shoulders and waist. He recognised the colour and instantly looks behind him and sees the blue IS Unit, roughly two hundred meters away from him and pointing her beam rifle straight at him.

"I hope you haven't forgotten about me, huh." Cecilia chided as she deployed her (Blue Tears) four remote drones, which fly towards their target And release another barrage of high energy beam projectiles. Jackson began to move evasively, barely avoiding the fire that poured down on him as he twists and turns inside his IS, its high mobility proving its worth to him. He looks back to where Rin had last been spotted and sees that she was now hovering a small distance from him. He wasn't entirely too sure about what she was planning on doing next, but there was something about that sinister grin on her face that made his subconscious side tell him that he wasn't going to like it.

And boy, he didn't.

"You might have dodged my blade." She calls out mockingly, the two barrels located either side of her shoulders beginning to glow yellow. "But let's see you dodge this!"

The flame pink IS suddenly unleashes a volley of fire down at Jackson, his Hyper-sensors just managed to pick up the (Shenlongs) invisible ammunition in order to evade, but he is immediately put under fire again from Cecilia and her drones that were now hunting him down.

"Time to move." Jackson says to himself as he punches open his thrusters and began flying around at high speed to make himself a harder target to hit. Rin quickly chases after the escaping IS as she continuing to fire her shock cannons at him, while Cecilia fired at him from above. The two girls seemed to show rather enjoyable expressions on their faces as they watch Jackson dance around to avoid being hit.

"Looks like you're not as cocky as you were before. Are you." Rin chided sarcastically as she stuck to Jacksons tail like a cat hunting down a mouse. He rolls hard right and loops round above the rest of the class who were watching the whole fight unfolding, and while some girls were impressed by how Jackson hadn't been hit yet, a fair majority of the girls were starting to get worried about his current position in this situation.

"Oh, I hope Jackson is alright up there." one of the girls say to the other standing beside her.

"He's been stuck playing defensive this whole time." Said another one.

"Yeah, and I think that the Representative's are just taunting him now."

Whispers like that started to spread throughout the group, whereas Ichika on the other hand remains silent as he continues to watch his roommate fly through the air as he was relentlessly bombarded with fire from both his opponents.

"Miss Orimura, was it really a good idea to make him fight those two?" He suddenly spoke up, silencing the entire class as Chifuyu averted her eyes onto him. Wearing a confident smirk.

"Just keep your eyes on him."

With those few short words said, Chifuyu turn back to observing her students fight in the skies above. There was something about the way she was smirking that tipped the curiosity of Ichika.

Why does she seem so confident in JJ's performance? He's not exactly winning right now, so what is it?

Ichika decided not to think about that much and instead he set his eyes back up to Jackson, who was at this moment still trying to shake Rin off his tail.

As the (Shenlong) fires another volley from its shock cannons, Jackson rolls into an invert and dives down to avoid the fire coming at him, Rin followed closely as she dived after him. Jackson rolled back over again and pulls up to dodge the second burst of fire from Rin, climbing back up and performing a split-S loop, he sets his sight on the (Blue Tears) IS that was located at his nine o'clock, about five hundred meters away. Turning hard left he bears down on the blue coloured IS, the flame pink one still hot on his trail.

"Ha, you fool. Why on earth would you make yourself such an easy target by coming straight at me like that." Cecilia said sounding rather victorious. She sets her remote drones to form a firing circle around her and she brings her beam rifle back up, training all five beams onto the Black IS that was still flying straight towards her. Meanwhile Rin who was still pursuing Jackson pulls back and prepared for another shock cannon salvo, the two girls smirk victoriously as there weapons charge up for the finishing blow.

"We Got you, now." They shout in unison.

Or so they thought.

Just as the two girls fire their weapons. Jackson says something unexpected.

"No... I got you."

Then something happened that none of the students saw coming. Just as the (Shenlong) and (Blue Tears) energy projectiles were about to hit, two large flaps on the back of Jackson's wing shoot open and he throws himself into an advanced aerial counter manoeuvre known as a (flat spin).

The advanced manoeuvre puts him into a controlled high G-Force corkscrew like flip that causes the energy projectiles launched by the two girls to pass by either side of him with mere inches to spare.

"Huh!" Rin said in shock.

"What the!" Cecilia also said in equal surprise.

They watched as the Black IS move out of harms way with minimal time to spare, both of them were shocked at how Jackson was able to dodge both their attacks at the very last second with such a tight turning manoeuvre at such a high speed. But they're both soon snapped out of their trances when their own Hyper-sensors go off.

"Huh... OH NO!" Was all they could say.

BOOM

The sound of two explosions ripple through the air, the violent shockwaves rock both Rin and Cecilia's bodies as the (Blue Tears) IS is engulfed in a cloud of black smoke, while the (Shenlong) is thrown into an uncontrolled spiral towards the ground.

In the midst of Jackson's magnificently timed counter manoeuvre, both of them had been too distracted to notice that he had lured them into each other's line of fire during the attack. And when he moved out of the way, both Rin and Cecilia were hit by their own allies attack.

Jackson had played them.

"Whoa... did you see that." one of the girls shout out as the entire class looks up to the sky in astonishment.

"Yeah... That was so cool." Another girl replies.

"What an incredible display of Manoeuvrability." Charlotte said, as she was undoubtedly impressed by the tactic Jackson had implied.

"Hmm, impressive. It seems he's more talented than he was making himself out to be." Laura added in, arms folded as she was admittedly impressed herself by the young mans display. Houki continues the conversation next.

"Yeah, he's probably taken quite a bit of shield energy out of both them. And the craziest thing about it is..."

"Is that he didn't even have to use his own weapons to do it." Ichika said, finishing Houki's sentence. He continues to look up into the sky with the rest of his friends, all wearing the same face of surprise and slight shock as the rest of the class as they focus their sight on the large black cloud of smoke that lingers in the air.

Coughing for breath, Cecilia opens her eyes as the smoke around her began to clear away. An interface screen, flashing red and making a small beeping noise pops up in the corner of her vision. Looking around and checking for any sign of another attack, she quickly brings up the screen in front of her to assess the extent of the damage she'd taken.

Left Thruster System Hit

Damage Level: Moderate

Shield Energy Level: 46%

She looks down at her left leg to see that the hit she'd taken from Rin had badly torn up a small section of her lower leg armour, but fortunately (Blue Tears) lower armour was strong enough to absorb most of the damage caused by the explosion that could have taken her out, but a the same she had unfortunately lost a considerable amount of shield energy by absorbing it.

Before she has time to think about anything else, Cecilia is snapped back into battle mode when she hears the sound of thrusters indicating an incoming IS. Using her Hyper-sensors to pin point the where the sound was coming from she draws her beam rifle at the thought that it was Jackson coming in for another pass, but she soon lowers her guard a little when she sees that the person coming out of the smoke was just Rin, who had recently regained control of her unit.

A rather angry Rin to be more precise though.

"Look what you did ya big dummy!" She shouted with fiery eyes at her teammate as she pointed at the shock cannon on her right side. It turned out that Rin hadn't come out any better, not only did she lose a similar amount of shield energy as Cecilia, but her right cannon had taken the full force of her attack and a large section of metal had been ripped off the upper section, damaging it to the point where it was rendered immobile. "What the hell did you shoot me for!"

"Now hold on just a minute here." Cecilia immediately called back in anger herself as she pointed down at her left leg, showing Rin that she wasn't the only one who had sustained unnecessary damage. "Don't you even think about blaming this whole thing on me. You shot me as well."

"Well, next time you shoot that thing of yours at Jackson. Make sure you're actually aiming at him this time." Rin said, clearly uninterested by the damage she had caused to her ally. Cecilia feels her temper rising as she is unable to believe that Rin is trying to criticise her accuracy, when she is just as much in this argument as she was.

"If that's the case, then I should also recommend that you worry about your own accuracy instead of mi-."

Cecilia suddenly stops ranting when something clicks over inside of her head. Rin quickly notices her expression turn from angry and argumentative, to confused and somewhat slightly cautious.

"What is it?" She asked as she thought that Cecilia was trying to find a way to change the subject. The blonde haired IS pilot began to rapidly check her vectors, twisting her head and body she looks around her in all directions as if she had lost something, and a few moments later she turns back to look at her ally. One question on her mind.

"Where the devil has Jackson gone?"

Straight after hearing that question, Rin too becomes confused as she drops her argument with Cecilia and starts looking around as well for any sign of their rival.

"Huh?"

Keeping within the cover of the smoke, both girls check their Hyper-sensors for even the tiniest presence of movement.

But there was nothing showing up.

Their concentration had become so consumed in their argument of who shot who, that they didn't notice that Jackson had completely vanished without a trace.

"How could he have done that?" Cecilia said, watching everything round her with extra caution as to not leave anything to change. Both her and Rin had him in their sights the entire time, but after that sudden and unexpected counter manoeuvre he had pulled to dodge their last attack, he was now nowhere to be seen.

"I don't know, but whatever he did I'm sure it wasn't to runaway." Rin adds as she monitors her surroundings just as intensively as Cecilia. "Keep your eyes open. After all that time we wasted arguing, he could be anyw-"

Rin is cut off when a beeping sound rings in her ears and a flashing red indicator screen pops up in front of her again, reading out.

Enemy Within Striking Range.

Her Hyper-sensors then kick in out of nowhere but before she any time to react, she hears the sound gunfire being fired from behind her. The sound of explosions echo through the air as Something smashes into the (Shenlong's) back armour, rattling Rin's body as her shield energy begins to rapidly deplete, she's thrown off balance and is hurtled downwards In an uncontrolled spiral. Cecilia who had been right next to her spots that Rin had been hit by a salvo of explosive Plasmatic energy shots. Looking in the direction that the shot had come from, she turns to see that out of nowhere, Jackson's IS had reappeared.

And was quickly bearing down on her.

"My turn." He said, and starts to fight back on the offensive. Bringing his sword down in a vertical strike he lands a clean hit on the blue IS as he passes by, he then quickly turns round and shoots back at her, twisting the blade in his hands he strikes again, scoring another effective hit of Cecilia as he passes by, giving her no time to react to his attack.

"You stop that right now!" She shouts out as she draws her sniper rifle and tries to fire a quick shot at him before he could turn and try to hit her again. Jackson sees the incoming attack, and just before the Cecilia pulled the trigger, he suddenly shifts left to dodge it at such a high speed that he almost becomes a blur for the moment.

"Huh!" Both Rin and Cecilia are shocked at how fast he moved just then, it was bullet like speed and when Cecilia takes another shot, Jackson dodges it again with another blurring side shift.

"Damnit, He can move fast." Rin said, watching from a small distance after regaining control over her IS. As Jackson dodges Cecilia's shots, he begins shifting in an unpredictable pattern of directions making himself even harder of a target to track.

"Here, I got something for ya." He chided, then instantly after speaking, two of the covered holes on his lower wings open up and two black and purple coloured spheres are shot out of the (Storm Ghost) and towards the blue IS.

His action completely caught Cecilia off her guard again and before she even has time to train her sniper on the two spheres flying towards her, they detonated either side of the (Blue Tears) IS, a bright purple flash lights up the sky as a large orb-like shockwave engulfed the Blue machine.

"Guah!" Cecilia stutters out as she feels a jolt of electricity rush through her body, seconds later warning screens pop up all over her interface and her IS failed to respond to her commands as it shudders in mid-air. It didn't take a genius to realise what had happened.

She'd been stunned by an Electro-Magnetic Pulse.

Rin had watched the attack from a safe enough distance to avoid the pulse wave, but she was still tremendously shocked by that unexpected move played by Jackson.

"What! His IS is equipped with E.M.G's." (Electro-Magnetic Grenades)

She then saw the three holes on Jackson's upper wings open up and a blue glow began to show from them... As is they were charging up or something. But the realisation soon sinks in and Rin turns to look at her teammate who was still trying to cancel the effects of the E.M.G's that stunned her a few seconds ago.

"CECILIA, MOVE OUT THE WAY!"

She yells, in an instant, she knew what was about to happen. Jackson had stunned Cecilia in order to move in for a kill shot. Activating her thrusters, Rin switched to her remaining shock cannon, and hoped that she'd make it in time, seeing Jackson, she sees his IS release a massive salvo of blue plasma shots straight for her teammate.

"CECILIA!"

"Eh..?"

Her reply clearly showed that she was too focused on attempting to regain control of her Personal Unit to notice Jackson firing, and Rin knew that what was about to happen was also because she reacted far too slowly. Had she began to move in her direction the second that feeling came, she would have probably made it with plenty of time to spare, but now, she doubted it. She focused her thoughts on her thrusters and engaged her [Ignition Boost], hoping that she'd be able to reach Cecilia in time.

And she did.

Almost.

Made it! She thought as she, fires at Jackson, one shot manages to scuff to top of his wing. But the shot had been fired several milliseconds too late, as by the time she fired, Jackson's shots had already reached their target. The attack creates a massive chain of explosions and Rin saw Cecilia suddenly getting flung aside, the four BIT weapons automatically reattaching itself onto her wing as she crash landed onto the ground below, her shields depleted.

"Dammit…"

Biting her lips, Rin notices that the charge on Jackson had closed the covers on his wings that concealed his plasma cannons, she takes this as her opportunity and makes one last attempt to take him out. Switching her weapons yet again, holding her (Souten Gagetsu) with both hands, she ignites her thrusters to maximum output regardless of the fact her shield energy level was below twenty percent.

"This is not over yet." She shouts out as she closes the gap between the two machines in a matter of seconds. Jackson barely looks back in time to see Rin as she rotates her body, spinning round to bringing her large blade down in a brutally strong vertical slice hoping that she would knock him out of the air.

"Now down you go!" She cries out.

But what happened next was nothing the of what anyone was expecting.

As Rin begins her swing, Jackson grips the handle of his sword in both hand and holds it horizontally in front of himself, the edge of his blade began to glow bright purple as small bolts of purple electricity wrap round his weapon, clearly he was charging it up for a more powerful strike. With no time to back out and spurred by her determination, Rin swung her blade with all her strength, aiming for the Black IS's chest. But at the very last second before she hits her target, Jackson thrusters ignite and a powerful burst of speed spun him out of the way of Rin's attack and he swings his sword in an upwards vertical strike of equal strength.

The two blades collide.

The sound of steel gliding against steel rings through the air and the two IS's pass by one another, barely a few inches from clipping wings with each other. Rin stops her diving attack after passing Jackson and looks back up to see Him hovering just above and behind her in the exact same place he was in when he swung his blade at her.

"Huh...!" Rin gasped, shocked that Jackson had been able to dodge her attack with such little time to react, but then she turns her attention to her blade... and instantly Rin's eyes widen in shock.

"What!" Was all she able to stutter out.

Running across one end of her weapon to the other was a thin orange line, it was as if the blade was burning from the inside out and could be seen through this one thin line, in an instant, Rin knew what had happened, but at the same time she was simply unable to believe it.

"Did his blade just... cut through mine!" She mutters to herself, and a few seconds later the orange glow across the line made in the blade dulls down and the top half of the Souten Gagetsu slides off and falls to the ground. Rin is stunned as she watches the large chunk of metal began to dissipate into light and break away till it disappeared into thin air.

"No way... That's impossible... Only Ichika could perform an attack that strong... and yet."

Rin continues to stare at her the damaged blade as she was still finding it hard to believe what had just happened, but her train of thought was soon disrupted when she hears something being fired behind her, and when she turns back to face Jackson she was caught off guard by two snub-sized Hell-Fire missiles that were baring down on her.

"Now it's over." Jackson chuckles as he watches his missiles home in on their prey. With no time to dodge the incoming projectiles, all Rin could do was shield herself with her arms, squeezing her eyes shut she prepared herself for the inevitable.

BOOM

The sound of two explosions ripple through the air, the violent shockwaves rock Rin's body as her (Shenlong) IS is engulfed in a cloud of black smoke, thrown into an uncontrolled spiral, Rin smashes into the ground not to far from the rest of the class. The students and teachers are forced to shield their faces from the cloud of dirt and dust that sweeps by them.

When the dust clears the students look to see Rin at the bottom of larger crater made by the force of her impact with the ground. She groans in discomfort as she began to come around, un-deploying her IS she stammers out of the crater, the rest of the class rush to her.

"Goodness, are you okay Rin." One of the girls said, the rest of the group showing an equally worried expression.

"Yeah, that was quite a hard fall."

"You're not hurt are you."

Questions like that bombarded Rin, and even Cecilia was asking similar questions, but Rin simply shrugs their worries.

"Don't be ridicules, of course I'm fine." She huffs as she brushed the dust from her shoulder. At that moment Jackson, who had already landed and un-deployed his IS makes his way past the group in order to get to both Rin and Cecilia, a smile on his face.

"Thanks for such a good fight, you two really made me have to work for that one." He said politely as he held out a hand to the two girls. The two of them look at Jackson for a second, quite surprised at his generosity, but the two of them soon sober up their anger to losing and Rin plaster a small smile of her own Towards the young red head.

"Well, even though I'm still a little mad that you damaged my IS quite a bit... At least I know that I didn't make it easy for you." She said as she made a mutual hand shake with Jackson, "Looks like You're pretty tactically aware as well as tough."

Jackson nods solemnly at Rin, before turning his attention to Cecilia.

"I agree, it would seem that you are a more competent pilot than we anticipated." Cecilia said rather kindly while shaking hands with her opponent, "And I must say, you're quite polite as well."

Jackson smiles brightly at the two girls after exchanging handshakes with them.

"Good to know there's no hard feelings." He said.

"Alright, that was a good match. Now, the ones with their personal machines are Orimura, Jackson, Alcott, Dunois, Shinonino, Bodewig and Rin. We'll be splitting the class into groups of seven, the ones with personal machines are the leaders, got it?"

"Get ready" Jackson heard Ichika whisper to him.

"Because here it comes."

However, before whatever Ichika had been referring to happened, Chifuyu suddenly roared.

"And to avoid the same incident from last time happening again, you are to sort yourselves out according to seating arrangements. Anyone who does it too slowly is to run around the field one hundred times, GOT ME?"

"Y-YES!" the nervous reply of the girls came.

This time however, everyone seemed to be happy with the groups they were in.

"Ahh, I got Orimura-kun!"

"Yes! I got Jackson-san!"

"Shinonino-chan? Help me out okay?"

"I'll be in your care, Rin-san… please tell me more about Orimura-kun…"

"I'm with you, Cecilia-san!"

"Bodewig-chan, please teach us what we don't know!"

"Ahh! Charlotte-chan, teach us!"

Huh… what's with all the reactions… Jackson thought as he pressed his hand against his head.

"Now that you're sorted, listen up. Each group is to take one training suit. There are three [Revives] and four [Uchiganes]. It's first come, first serve so be fast about it, and remember, today is about flight and maneuvering, so leaders, please follow your team mates and make sure they don't crash." Yamada-sensei announced.

There suddenly seemed to be an electricity in the air as the groups began to discuss which training suit they were going to use, and ultimately, it was Jackson's group who had the first pick. They chose the [Revive], solely because of the fact that it shared similar properties to his personal unit, with Charlotte's group following close behind and picking the same. Ichika's group got an [Uchigane], whereas the last [Revive] was taken by the group led by Cecilia. The others naturally got the only three available [Uchiganes] that were left.

"Alright, all of you are to suit up and do one lap around the track. Don't overexert yourself. Once you're done, quickly switch with the next person and repeat. Before lunch, I want everyone to have at least done a single lap around this track." Yamada-sensei continued.

"Y-Yes!"

"And since everyone needs to use it, we've deactivated the optimizing and format fitting modes."

"Yes!"

As the girls answered in unison, the leaders of the groups quickly deployed their own suits- the white [Byakushiki], the jet black [Storm Ghost], the orange [Revive Custom II], the red [Akatsubaki], the blue suit suitingly named [Blue Tears], the pink [Shenlong] and the black [Schwarzer Roegen]- and began to talk to their groups.

"Alright, first up is-"

"Me! Name's Sarah Dawning, my hobbies are singing, volleyball and playing the violin! Nice to meet you!"

With that, she offered her hand to Jackson, who stared at her for a second before smiling and saying "No need for the all the extra info, let's get started shall we?"

Although the girl looked a bit sad about her apparent rejection, the sadness was instantly wiped off her face when Jackson suddenly carried her princess-style, putting her down on the suit and helping her into the cockpit. She was slightly blushing in shock at the fact that a boy was carrying her in the way that most girls could only dream about, and she couldn't help but ask "W-why?"

"Hmm? Oh, it's because you were spacing out too much and you weren't responding to my calls, so I thought I'd take a more direct action," he explained, smiling in a slightly cheeky manner down at the girl. "Anyway, shall we?"

Having finished settling into the cockpit, Sarah nodded.

"Alright, now, in order to fly, you have to focus in the direction that you wish to fly to. Remember the theory in the books and try to put it to use."

"Y-yes!"

After saying that, Jackson slowly levitated off the ground in his suit, guiding the girl as she climbed up at a snail's pace.

"That's good, now faster."

The girl focused, her face visibly scrunching up slightly as she focused on where she wanted to go, and the [Revive] slowly sped up in its ascend.

"Alright, stop. Now, move forward and follow me."

Staying just in front of Sarah, Sam seamlessly moved his unit past the obstacles as him and the girl moved slowly through the track. Behind him, Laura was helping a member of her group too, actually giving instructions this time round, and further still was Rin's group, who had to take things a little slower on the fact that Rin's IS was still slightly damaged from her match against Jackson.

"Alright, that's good. Now keep going."

After a while, they finally finished the lap and as Jackson helped the girl land, the next student walked up to meet them.

"Good job," he complimented her as they touched down. "Alright, next person then."

"That's me..." the brunette girl said in a shy tone. "But I can't get into the cockpit…"

At this, Ichika quietly chuckles out.

"Ha, I remember that being me back then!"

Was what he said right before he was smashed over the head by Chifuyu's attendance book.

"Just shut up and get back to work," she commanded.

"S-sorry…"

"Anyway, I guess I'll just have to carry you up," Jackson said nonchalantly as he looked at the height of the Revive's cockpit. Without hesitation, he picked the girl up and helped her in.

"A-Anyway I'm Luna, it's nice to meet you Jackson." The young girl shyly. Jackson smile at her.

"Nice to meet meet you to. Anyway let's begin."

The two IS's begin their accent, and Jackson couldn't help but notice that luna seemed to have quite a noticeable larger amount of control of the IS than the rest of the girls.

"Hey, Luna-san, you seem to have quite the knack of piloting an IS, think you handle some higher speeds you reckon?"

"Umm? Yeah, I-I t-think I so..."

He grinned at her before continuing.

"Don't worry, I'll be here to help you if need be."

She blushes slightly at his remark.

"A-Are you sure?"

Jackson nods.

"Of course, if you're up for it, then I'm sure that you can do this faster than the others"

"Y-Yeah… I guess…"

"...but I know... I'm not as good as you…"

The last part was mumbled out so that Jackson couldn't hear her, but either way, he grinned at her.

"Then let's go at your fastest, shall we?"

Luna nodded and instantly began to take flight, with Jackson following close behind. She was considerably faster than Sarah had been and even though that was to be expected, Jackson was impressed by her skill; not many of the pilots that he had encountered during his training back in the States flew as well as her (except for his squadron, but that was to expected as well), but compared to the training instructors he had fought before, she was even faster than them. They both flew around and over the obstacles smoothly, completing a lap considerably faster than most of the other students.

"You've got some skill," Jackson grinned. "You'd make an amazing pilot if you keep this up. You'd probably be able to even go toe to toe with me soon enough."

And with that, Luna dismounted, hiding her blushing face from him.

"Alright, so everyone's had their go right?" Jackson asked the group. Each member had at least tried the course out five times, each time getting faster as they grew used to controlling the suits, and they'd finished mere minutes before lunch time, and although they could already start packing up their equipment, Jackson couldn't help but ask this.

"So... Who wants to see me run this course?"

All of the girls raised their hands.

Jackson grinned saying. "I'd cover your ears just now." before fully engaging his face armour again.

But before any of the girls could process his words, a loud bang echoed through the air as Jackson's IS punched wind and shoots off into the sky, the blast caused by his takeoff knocks Ichika, who was just walking over to ask him something right off his feet and to the ground as Jackson flies off.

"Whoa...! He's fast!" Was all he could say as he watched his roommate run the course.

It literally took him two and half minutes to complete the lap, which was much faster than any of the other girls in the group, all of whom completed it in roughly ten, except for Luna who did it in five, and half the time, he was dodging the obstacles at the very last moment, his wings and thrusters all working together in spectacular unison to keep his IS on track while maintaining an unbelievable amount of speed as well. He passes the line at high speed, his thrusters stopping him almost instantly right in front of the girls and grinned at the them before saying "Alright, let's pack up."

Pushing the IS by himself, the other girls surrounded him as several began to help him transport the suit onto the flatbed, but nonetheless, after pushing the IS onto the flatbed, one girl stays to help him secure it, a question raised in her.

"By the way, Jackson," Sarah asked tentatively. "What was that thing your IS did?"

"What?"

"I don't think any of the others saw it, but I did. Just after you dodge Rin and Cecilia... your IS just disappeared into thin air, how did you do that?"

"Oh, I see? We call it [Phantoms Cloak]."

Sarah looks confused at what he had just said.

"Phantoms Cloak. What's that?"

"Ah, that I can't tell you, that informations a company secret." he said, tapping his finger against his nose. Finally strapping the suit onto the truck, both of them jumped down.

Noticing that Ichika was struggling alone with the IS, Jackson immediately ran to his aid, pushing the suit alongside him back into the hanger, after which they immediately dashed back out onto the field, quickly taking their positions in line.

"That's it for morning practice. We need to inspect the machines that were used, so class dismissed."

With that, the group of girls, and two boys, relaxed and went their separate way.

"Jackson, let's head over for lunch!"

He was about to refuse at first, saying that he's got something he needs to take care of first, but upon hearing his stomach growl, he decided against it. After all, it was only voluntary combat training.

"Yeah, lunch sounds good right about now." 


	5. Background Theory

**Hi there everyone.**

 **I would just like to say thank you for your reviews and for giving the time to read my story so far. I honestly wasn't expecting it to be doing this well so early on, and you that I say thank you all very much and I hope you enjoy the rest that's to come as well as you enjoy it so far.**

 **This next chapter is going to be a three part post due to the size of them, meaning posting it all up in one chapter would have been just to long for that. Nether the less Ill stop giber jabbering and give the episode my story.**

 **Enjoy everyone**

* * *

 **Rising Potential**

 **Part One: Background Theory**

Ichika and Jackson stand in line for the cafeteria, the two of them scanning over today's menu of lunch options the IS academy was providing. The cafeteria was already quite packed by the time they had gotten there under the account that they had taken a short period of time after today's practical IS training earlier on to take a shower and get cleaned up, so by the time they had finished, most of the other girls had already arrived, but then again most of them were from the classrooms that were closer to the here in the first place.

As they waited to be served the two boys engaged in separate conversations with some of the other girls that were standing in line with them, either giving them warm greetings or discussing how each other's day was going, nothing really that serious.

Yet Despite this calm mannered atmosphere, Jackson felt a chill down his back as he couldn't help but sense the feeling that he was being watched intensively, as he moves down the line, beaming smiles from multiple girls became more prominent around him, some of them from girls that hadn't yet got a chance to see him, considering how fast the rumours that another boy had just recently joined the academy had spread, and others from girls that were both curious (and in some cases wooed) by the rumours from a few other girls about how he looks without a shirt on. He hadn't quite gotten used to the amount of attention he was getting from the rest of the students, but as he turns his head to look at a few girls sitting at a table behind him, they almost immediately turn away to hide there blushing faces hoping he wouldn't pick up that they were trying to imagine him shirtless.

He remains cool headed as usual and throws a small smile at the group sitting at their table and turns back face forward as they reached the end of the Que.

"Here you boys go, one grilled fish set, and one daily special." The woman behind the counter said cheerfully as she handed Ichika and Jackson the lunch sets which appealed the most to them, which was convenient for Jackson considering today's daily special was sirloin steak, fries and peppercorn sauce, which happened to be his favourite.

"Hey Jake. You didn't happen to spot an empty table on the way in did you." Said Ichika as he picked up his tray.

"Yeah, there's one just over there." Jackson replied as he walked off and lead Ichika in the direction of an empty table near the edge of the cafeteria by the windows. Sitting down the two boys began to tuck into their lunch at their own set pace

"So, JJ." Ichika said after finishing a mouthful of rice.

"Sup."

"What did you think of your first day of Practical IS training?" He asked, curious of what his roommate was thinking about today.

"It... was pretty fun, I have to say." Jackson said, sounding quite happy about it. "Although if I had to be honest, I didn't know what was harder. The simulation battle between Rin and Cecilia, or teaching the other girls how to fly the IS without getting distracted myself."

Ichika laughed a little after hearing him say that, and Jackson raised a brow, as he wasn't entirely sure on why he was laughing at that.

"What's so funny?"

"Well from where I was standing, you didn't seem to be finding it hard to fight Rin and Cecilia, and I know just how tough those two are." Ichika boasted, a couple of girls sitting nearby, who just about overhead him say that begin whispering to each.

"And you also appeared to get along with the others as well."

After saying this, Ichika's smiles at the boy sitting next to him. "Especially that brunette girl from your group."

Jackson heard this and stayed silent for a moment, processing what Ichika had just said in his brain.

"Who... Luna?" He asked as he opens the bottle of energy juice he'd bought from a vending machine just before getting into the lunch Que to take a sip from it.

Ichika nods at him.

"Yeah, you seemed to get along with her very well. And you were quite complimenting towards her efforts... You wouldn't happen to like her by any chance?"

At this, Jackson struggled to keep himself from spraying the energy drink out of his mouth and ended up choking, the sudden question completely catching him off guard.

Coughing out the last few drops of juice stuck inside his throat, Jackson asked "Where did that come from?"

"Hmm? No reason, just curious since you seemed to get along with her so well, I thought I'd ask that."

"Huh… I wouldn't say that I didn't like her…"

He paused, looking away as he tried to calm himself down a bit more.

"So… you like her huh?"

Jackson shook his head.

"I wouldn't call it like, more like impressed…"

He whispered out.

"I'm impressed by her…"

Ichika heard this and stayed silent for a minute.

"Was that why…"

"Yeah."

"So you DO like her!"

"GRAH Keep it down! Do you want any of the other girls to hear?"

Ichika shook his head but kept his face in the same cheeky expression as before.

"Like I said, it's more impressed than like. I mean, I'm impressed at her skills as a pilot, and the performance that she showed compared to the rest of the girls… I'm actually hoping she keeps it up!"

"Ooh… so it's like that huh?"

Ichika grinned and nodded, his fingers on his chin in a pose of mock-wisdom.

"Well… I've been around enough pilots to compare her skill towards theirs. And in honesty, she flies a little better than most of the instructors that trained me, Seeing skill like that from someone as young as her for myself, it's really quite surprising."

"Oooh." Ichika remained smiling. "whatever way you wonna put it bud."

Jackson tosses a small glare at the boy sitting beside him, but he figured out that Ichika was only pulling his leg, so his expression quickly sobers up as he lets out a slight chuckle before he focused back on his food.

A few more moments passed where the two boys just sat and ate their lunch in peace.

"Ahem." The sound of a young woman speaking in front of the two of them draws their attention, both Ichika and Jackson look up to see a silver haired girl standing in front of them holding her tray. It was none other than Laura, and standing behind her with their lunches were the rest of the girls who had sat with Jackson and Ichika at breakfast earlier today.

"I trust you won't object us joining you two here?" She asked the two boys.

"Sure why not, the more the merrier I say. Right Jake." Ichika said before turning to Jackson who then looked at the group standing before him, then smiles politely.

"Yeah, I don't see a problem with it."

After saying that, the girls took their places on the table with them, Charlotte slid along Ichika's side to sit next to him followed by Rin and Cecilia, while Laura moved along to sit down next to Jackson followed by Houki.

As the group sit there and begin to eat their lunch, an awkward silence is swept over the table as none of the girls said a word, but even as Jackson tried to remain focused on his own food he could feel the intensive stares coming from them.

"It seems they haven't forgotten about what they told me this morning." Jackson thought to himself as he keeps his head down and looks at his tray. It appeared to him that they were just watching him, waiting for him to make the first move as if he was being forced to.

Sighing quietly he tilts his head back up to see that Laura and Charlotte were looking down at their trays and more focused on their food. Whereas Houki's eyes on the other hand quickly glance at him before looking back down at her tray, and that both Rin and Cecilia were staring intently at him. Looking at them, he says

"Alright girls... What's with the death stares."

This sudden outburst causes the rest of the group to snap their eyesight onto Jackson as he tosses back his own glare at Rin and Cecilia, clearly frustrated by something now.

"I know something has been bothering you lot, it's been like this since this morning, so can you please just tell me what it is." He said as he put down his knife and fork as he rests his elbows on the table, he interlocked his fingers together and leaned forward slightly as he waited for one of the girls to finally speak up.

And sure enough they did.

"We're just... curious to know something Jackson." Said Charlotte as she looks up to meet his eyes with hers.

"Yeah... There's something pretty off about you for some reason." Says Houki, putting down her chopsticks to enter the conversation. Jackson took a second to process what she had just said and turns to face Houki now.

"Off?"

"That's right." Rin snaps, causing him to look at her now, her eyes staring intensively at him. "And after making quite the debut today. That confirms it."

"Confirms what?" Jackson said sounding rather confused at what these girls were getting at by this point.

It was Cecilia's turn now.

"While we were getting ready to come over here after training, we all had a little think about what we saw you do today, which we discussed with each other to try and figure it out... And I believe we did."

"I agree." Laura said in a rather stern toned voice, she then turns her attention to the boy sitting next to her. "After careful observation of today's most recent events we have all come up with a theory regarding you Mr. Jackson. A theory we want you to answer."

A silence hovers over the group as Jackson looks at the five girls who were now all piercing their eyes into his. Without taking his eyes off them he reached for his energy drink again.

"And that theory would be?" He said as he brings his drink to his mouth. But as he takes a sip, the girls suddenly all point an accusing finger at him, shouting out.

"THAT YOU'RE A PILOT THAT'S COME OUT OF HIDING!"

The sudden loud ringing of their voices going through his ears startled Jackson, almost causing him to drop his energy drink in the process. He puts the bottle down and looks back at the girls again. Ichika on the other hand is taken a little by shock on what he had just heard.

"A pilot out of hiding... What are you guys on about?" He asks out, almost instantly gaining the piercing stares of all the girls.

"Oh come on Ichika, it's painfully obvious." Said Houki, shaking her head in response to how blockheaded Ichika was being. Then she turns her attention back to the boy sitting next to him, who was still wearing that calm cool-headed expression on his face as usual. Before continuing on.

"Unlike when you first joined the IS Academy Ichika, Jackson already had his own personal IS Unit. And also unlike you back at the beginning, he seems to have a very good understanding of how the IS works... took you a week to learn what the rest of the class does in a day."

"And what's that supposed to mean!" Ichika said leaning forward over the table, a little annoyed that Houki had said that. But she just huffs at him, closing her eyes as she turns away, only to turn back around and continue speaking.

"My point is that Jackson understands the IS too well for someone who has just turned up to the Academy. Its clear that he has undertaken some very intensive theoretical preparation in understanding more than just the basics on the IS before coming here."

"I have to agree with Houki." Charlotte added as she joins into the discussion. "Not to mention the fact that Mr. Jackson's Personal IS is no typical standard class model... Advanced Manoeuvring packages, high powered thrusters, proximity hyper-sensors, Plasmatic energy cannons, radar guided snub-hellfire missiles, E.M.G launchers, a High Velocity Railgun and that fancy sword of his. It all indicates to me that the (Storm Ghost) is a heavily customised IS designed for multi-ranged attacks and high speed engagements."

Charlottes eyes then set on Jackson as well. "And it's very unlikely that whoever designed his Personal Unit would have just given him those weapons and performance enhancements just because he was another male IS pilot. I believe that Mr. Jackson would have had to undergone extensive weapons training in order to use his armaments with the level of precision and efficiency he showed today."

After hearing what Charlotte had to say, it was Cecilia who was next to have her say on the subject of the conversation.

"Quite right, an IS like that would definitely be some kind of specialist roll type." She said, confirming what the girl sat next to her had just said earlier before turning her bright blue eyes in Jacksons direction. "But putting that aside for now, I must point out the fact that even with theoretical preparation and weapons training. Mr. Jackson wouldn't have been able to put any of that to use today without sufficent flight experience."

As the girls discussion continued to go into even more detail regarding their supposed theory about Jackson. Ichika couldn't help but feel like they were being a little intrusive about the whole thing. From his view of everything, the Five of them had come here to just question Jackson relentlessly about why he was so skilled during Practice today and how he'd achieved that, and although subconsciously he thought that something like this was going to occur knowing that his roommate was most likely going to be around his friends quite frequently during this year... It just seemed to him like they were just pouring the heat down on him in order to get their answers, rather than just letting Jackson explain everything in his own time. He was even about to bite the bullet and ask them if they would back down a bit and stop bombarding him with so many questions, but before doing so he turned his head to the boy sitting next to him and saw that Jackson seemed to be completely unfazed by them. Ichika was a little surprised to see such a calm and cool minded expression on Jackson's face, his fingers interlocked with each other and his elbows resting on the table as he continued to listen as Cecilia droned on about how he couldn't have performed that flat-spin to dodge the attacks both her and Rin had thrown at him without taking some kind of advanced evasive manoeuvres program, under the fact that the flat-spin manoeuvre was far too dangerous for a normal pilot to perform because of the risk of losing control of the IS during the manoeuvre.

"-And that's why I believe that you must have been heavily trained outside the Academy in the art of aerial evasive manoeuvring before coming her Mr. Jackson... Because I simply cannot think of another reason as to how you could have performed such a dangerous move with such precision." The blonde girl said as she finally finished off her little rant, only to have it continued on.

"Yeah... people aren't just born that skilled." Rin snapped as she pointed her chopsticks in Jackson's face. She was staring more intently at him compared to how the rest of the girls had been as she takes her Que to speak.

"And don't try to make up anything Jackson because you've made everything we've just said entirely believable after that display you put on during the Simulation Battle earlier today." Rin pauses for a moment and furrowed her brow at Jackson, refusing to take an eye off him.

"And if what we said is true... Then that can only mean one thing." She said to finish off her sentence. Jackson, who had been sitting quietly in his spot at the table and politely listened to what was said by the girls around him (despite the slight coldness in their tone towards him), cleared his throat and set his sight on Rin. Wanting to ask her a question of his own for them.

"And that one thing would be...?" He said calmly as he waited for an answer. Rin speaks up again.

"That you being a newly discovered male IS pilot, and just being sent here for no apparent reason other than data collection... Is nothing but a lie." She said without a moments hesitation, and for the first time Jackson's normally cool-headed expression shifted slightly as even he himself was a little surprised by what he had just heard.

"If what we said is true... That you have been training on all the subjects we covered in this conversation. Then you would have had to of been in an IS for quite some time by now." Rin said to finish off what she was saying. Ichika at this point had started to piece together what the girls were getting at, whereas Jackson on the other hand in response to their words just sat silently at the the table and instinctively turns his head in the direction of the silver haired girl sitting beside him, who closed her uncovered eye and calmly puts her cutlery down as she was about to what Jackson presumed was finish off this whole discussion.

"I agree completely with Rin. I must admit myself that out of all the Pilots I've seen... You are one that possesses a great deal of skill." She says in a rather firm tone. Then her eye opens and she looks up at the boy sitting next to her with a judging look. "But it is simply impossible for a male IS pilot to be as skilled as you were today if you had only been discovered recently." Said Laura as she looked up and down Jacksons figure as she was sizing him up in comparison with something of some sort.

"Therefore for only reasonable explanation as to why you have ascertained this level of skill, is that you have undertaken a specialised IS training program. And given the nature of your fighting style." The silver haired girl paused for a second and looks up to set her eye on Jackson's Personal IS which rested round his head in standby mode, before continuing on.

"I believe that it was a training program run by the United States Military." Her voice was subtle yet strong with that last comment she made. Jackson just looked at the girls next to him unable to really think of a way to follow up after that. Laura at this point averts her eye from him and speaks again.

"So to conclude everything we have said Mr. Jackson. We believe that you have undertaken roughly at least a years worth of training on the three key subjects regarding you and your IS before arriving here." She pauses again to look at him, only this time with a more intensive stare than before.

"So understandably we are cautiously aware of you. Since we do not yet fully understand the background you were sent from."

Taking a moment to process what Laura had just said, Jake started understand what they were trying to say at that point. But before he could say anything another girl began to speak.

This time it was Charlotte.

"It's nothing personal against you Mr. Jackson" She said before taking a sip of her tea, and then turning her attention back to the boy again. "But seeing someone as skilled as you just turn up out of nowhere, and not knowing your motives. It's a little... Intimidating."

Jackson was a little shocked by this, he never really thought that he could come over as intimidating in that way. But nonetheless his face remained the same as if it was glued that way, preventing any stir ups.

"So Jake." Rin said suddenly as she pointed her chopsticks at him again. "Think you can answer that Theory?"

There was a moment of silence at the table as Jackson was a now unable to think of a good way to start off, whereas Ichika on the other hand was a bit shocked by the behaviour of the girls just now. He couldn't help but feel a little worried for Jackson considering he was the epicentre of this whole discussion and how cold his friends were acting towards him, speaking to him as if he was some kind of outsider Hiding something from them. He silently pondered on who the Real intimidators were in his opinion.

But then just before he was about to speak, he was cut off by Jake who for some unknown reason began to chuckle to himself.

"Huh?" Ichika muttered to himself as he turned to see Jake smiling brightly at the five girls. All of them sharing the same confused expression as Ichika had.

"You girls are as sharp as a razor." Jackson chuckles out, clapping his hands as if to applause the girl for something.

"WHA-?" The five of them said in unison as they were completely taken back by Jackson's reaction towards them. This whole time he had been listening to them and what they had to say without showing even the slightest hint of intimidation or anything like that, and now he was laughing out brightly whilst applauding them... No-One at the table at this point could tell whether Jackson was just messing with them or actually being serious. The red headed boy smiles at the reaction that he'd caused from the girls, a little amused by them, And decided that now was the best time to talk.

"Your theory was pretty accurate... but I have to say their are a few things either wrong or missed out about it." Pausing for a second he pick up his energy bottle and takes a drink while everyone around him snapped back to reality again.

He cleared his throat out and collected his thoughts and memories before finally beginning.

"I guess I do owe you an explanation as to why I'm here. So I'll start from the beginning. It was roughly three years ago by now."

* * *

"Oh come on Trix, how come I can't come with ya?" Said Jackson as he stretched his arms out of sheer boredom. He was currently at Trixie Galashon's house, a close friend of his mothers who usually keeps an eye on him when his parents were having to deal with work of some sort. Normally because at the age he was at now Jackson had recently began developing a habit of letting his curiosity get him into situations he struggled to get out of. But today had taken a slight change, as Trixie's job was serving as a military officer for some place Jackson had heard her mention as nothing more than (Compound Trident). His mothers best friend never really spoke much about what happens at that place, only that it was owned by company that was possibly involved with the research and development of Infinite Stratos Units, and today she had been called by her superior officers asking to return to Trident for some important thing that had popped up.

And naturally of Jackson, he just couldn't resist wanting to go with her. But as normal Trixie wasn't letting up.

"Sorry JJ, you know I can't allow that." She said standing in front of the doorway to block Jackson from getting into her jeep that was parked outside.

"Come on Trix, that ain't fair." Jackson protested whilst trying to push past the woman in his way, only to be pushed back himself instead. "You took my mother there before... why not me?"

"Because your mother was asked to attend a meeting there regarding her plans to transfer from another Compound, remember." Trixie said folding her arms at Jackson, and after hearing that, his attempt to get past seemed to wither away a little. He remembers that as clear as day considering his Mother was a research developer for a separate Compound working in companionship with (Trident), and her work and efforts had earned her the opportunity to transfer to there and work on researching and developing "Code" Data for IS units. But to Jackson's own surprise... He had heard that she declined the offer to work at (Trident) under the fact that by accepting the offer would cut out what little time she had for her son. Both Jackson's mother and father were always bound by work, and the only times where they could all get back together as a family was during his school holidays, but even then they barely had the time to see him for more than three... Maybe four days at the most, so Trixie was the one that looked after him every now and then but for most of the time it was Jackson who took his care into his own hands.

Thinking about that he remembered what his father told him the last time they met. "I know it's a little tough son, but some independent living will help shape you into a stronger man. Think of it that way and you'll do just fine."

He felt the top of his head as he remembers how the old man use to ruff up his hair when he said that and wondered when the next time he would see him again would be. Trixie who at this point looks down at her watch.

"Ahh-." The woman huffed as she noticed the time.

"At this rate I'm going to be late." She thought to herself before turning her attention back to the brooding teenager standing in front of her.

"I'm sorry Jake, but you can't just waltz into Compound (Trident). There's a lot of technology and work being done there that most of the world doesn't even know exists, and even letting you see it could get me into a lot of trouble." Trixie said as she fishes out the keys to her jeep from her uniforms pocket. Upon hearing the last thing she said Jackson's eyes widened, he covered his ears with his hands and started violently shaking his head side to side shouting out.

"DON'T SAY STUFF LIKE THAT...! It only makes me want to go even more."

"Sorry. Didn't mean to make it worse." Trixie chuckles as she turned to unlock the front door of her house to leave, looking back at Jackson to see him hanging his head down in defeat. She gives the boy a warm smile.

"Just watch some TV shows for now, or study for your high school entrance exams that are coming up this month. I bring back a Pizza on my way home and we'll watch a horror film or something... Okay." She said, watching Jackson lift up his head at the sound of the idea.

"Okay..." The young boy sighs as he accepted the fact that he was missing out on another opportunity to see (Trident), and with a few last words of good bye Trixie shuts the door behind her to leave Jackson to do his own thing now.

If only there was a thing he could do for the time now. He had already done three hours of studying for his entrance exam this morning, and watching TV is easier said than done for him considering that the show package that Trixie was subscribed to doesn't cover the topic of Anime.

Instead he retreated to the room upstairs that Trixie had refurbished for him whenever he stays over and flings himself onto the bed in the corner of the room. Jackson sighs loudly as he stretched his arms and legs out, feeling his boardness taking over whilst he continued to stare at the ceiling. A few moments pass by when Jackson suddenly realised something... He hadn't heard the engine of Trixie's jeep start yet and began to wonder why as he got up from his bed and looked outside his window and onto the front drive of the house.

There he was met with a surprise. He could see Trixie standing next to the open front door of her jeep, patting her uniform all over furiously as if she was looking for something. Watching from the cover of his room Jackson sees the woman quickly grabbing the front door keys to her house and hurrying back, hearing her as she entered the house from his room.

"She must have forgotten her Military I.D card again." Jackson thought out loud as he recall seeing her place it on the kitchen table last nigh before putting her uniform in the wash. Then he turned his attention back to the jeep parked outside of the house... with its front door still wide open.

He should have just listened to Trixie, he should have just stayed here and waited for her to return, there was just too high a risk of getting caught and if he got caught the consequences could be dire.

But taking risks like this was what made him a (Jackson). The invitation was staring him in the face, this was his opportunity, the best chance he'll ever get in trying to see what really goes on inside Compound (Trident) and to find out what exactly kind of technology and research work his mother could have been working on. Without hesitation Jackson quickly swapped the bright blue t-shirt he was wearing for a black button up one and throws on a dark grey hoodie and finally some black trainers laced with white stripes and souls before making his way the window, but as he was preparing to open it he pauses for a second and turned back look at his black western style hat which was hanging on one of the banisters at the end of his bed. Jackson smiles brightly as he turned back to pick the hat up as looks at it for a second.

"You've always brought me good luck, hat." He said as he brushed his hand against the side of his lucky hat. "Don't fail me now."

He puts on his hat and after grabbing a spare blanket that was kept under his bed, goes back to the window, opening it quietly as not to alert Trixie of his daring escape. Rolling the blanket up under his arm Jackson climbs out of his window and sits down, spreading his body weight across the tile roof he starts to shimmy along at a gentle pace while doing his best not to slip as he inched closer to the edge when suddenly.

 _SLIP_!

He lost his footing near the end starts sliding towards the end of the roof.

"Shit... better not screw this up!" He muttered out as he slides past the guttering and falls off the roof. Fortunately for Jackson, he naturally had an abnormally fast reaction time and with a calculated twist of his body his feet make contact with the driveway and he performs a controlled tumble to break his fall. After quickly getting back up from his little fall, Jackson looked back to make sure Trixie hadn't seen him before he snuck into her jeep, climbing over the back seats to hide in the trunk, he unfolds the blanket he had and covers himself to hide from sight. And sure enough a few moments later Trixie comes back out of the house... This time in a bit more of a rush than before. Quickly locking the front door behind her she gets into her vehicle and starts her drive to Compound (Trident)... Completely unaware of her hidden passenger.

An hour passes by, and Jackson continued to remain as silent as possible. The ride was a little uncomfortable for him as he had been curled up in a ball in order to fit in the little space left on the trunk as the jeep continued on its trek towards its destination. And as time progresses on, he starts to hear the faint sounds of mechanical noises coming from outside the jeep. Of course, him being the curiously adventurous type, he decided to slip his head out of cover and take a quick peek out the window.

And what he saw was totally worth sneaking out of the house for.

The compound looked militarized, with lots of blocky buildings and wide, open spaces in the area. It was guarded by an electric fence on all sides, and he guessed that on the other side of the compound from where he was, there was a security gate. Judging by the vast open terrain around the entire base it seemed that it must be located on the outskirts of Dallas. He could see inside several IS suits were being piloted by several females, all of them moving in perfect sync with each other, and he couldn't help but keep on staring out the window as the jeep got closer allowing him to have a better look. He had always been fascinated by the IS and its technological advancements right back to when its creation was first officially announced, he remembers watching the grand tournaments on TV when was a child and had even done his research on them. So much in fact that he was able to identify the IS Units at the base as M32-Sporpio's, the mass production late Second Generation multi-roll type IS that America designed to rival France's Rafale Revive IS that shared a similar roll.

In the midst of his daydreaming though, he felt the jeep begin the decelerate and spots that Trixie was coming up to the checkpoint at the base entrance. Without wasting any time, Jackson quickly concealed himself from sight again as the vehicle comes to a complete stop. He overhears Trixie exchange a few words of greetings with the soldiers at the gate before he hears the sound of it opening up and feels the jeep pulling off again.

His heartbeat picked up its pace a little as a huge grin spreads across face. Thinking to himself. "I'm inside Compound Trident."

Jackson remains hidden underneath the blanket to avoid being spotted by anyone who would have gotten a glimpse through the windows of the jeep, but then everything went dark all of a sudden and the sound of the vehicles engine seemed to sound more echoed now.

"Strange?" Jackson thought to himself. "I didn't see a tunnel here."

But unknown to Jackson, he was in fact going through the tunnel that lead to Compound Trident's parking facilitie... built right underneath the base.

He felt the Jeep pull up and finally come to a halt, indicating that Trixie had parked and was getting ready to leave. Staying still for a few extra minutes, Jackson waited patiently as she leaves her vehicle and locks the doors behind her. When things seemed same enough, Jackson moved out of his cover and looked out the windows to assess the area he was now in. It seemed that the bases parking facility was designed to resemble one floor of a multi-storey car park... only it was a hell of a lot bigger, he saw that several security cameras were positioned within the area and one above the elevator that lead to the base entrance, there weren't any guards on standby by the look of it, but even so... It would a heck of a challenge to get into that elevator without being spotted by the security cameras, and even after that, it's not like he could just walk in the place. But after a few moments pondering how he was going to do this, Jackson hears another vehicle entering the facility, a large military truck rolls in and stops by a large steel wall over at the far side of the complex. However something seemed a little unusual about this truck to Jackson, it was painted jet black and had a large intricately designed black and purple emblem of a shield and two swords crossed over it. The whole image of the truck only influenced the young mans curiosity to grow even more about what it was here for... Or to be more specific... What it here to drop off. Jackson watches as the entire wall behind the truck slowly begins to open up. There he could see a freight elevator behind the truck with two forklifts on it, as the two men inside the truck get out to unload its cargo, Jackson decided that this would be his best chance to enter the base.

And with that decision made, he turns his attention towards getting out of the jeep. He was always good with his hands and was quite good at learning on the go as pried open the plastic panel that exposed the boot locking mechanism for the vehicle, and with a quick twist here and a pull of a cable here.

CLICK.

The sound of a successful lock pick was heard as he gently pushes the boot open, being careful of his surroundings he dashes towards the front of the truck, surveying the area to avoid getting spotted by the security cameras, or for any base personal monitoring the area. He times his moves perfectly as he sneaks past the two men unloading the truck and hides behind one of the large crates that had already been dropped off. The two men finished unloading their vehicle and after parking the forklifts at the front of the elevator they send it on its way down.

As the elevator slowly decants lower down, Jackson saw than on the crates unloaded, they all seemed to have the same initials painted on them, reading out (I-S-X-C-S), but before he could think about what they stood for he feels the slight shift in G-Forces as the elevator stops at its destination, quickly acting to avoid detection Jackson climbs onto the top of one of the forklifts and uses it to gain entrance to a ventilation system that he presumed runs through the section of the base that he was sent down to. It was a tight squeeze to fit through the metal airways, but Jackson continues to shimmy his way through until he comes across an air vent. He could hear more mechanical movements coming from the other side of vent and he scuttled over, quietly peeking through.

And what he saw was beyond amazing.

The room was filled with scientists and a few guard soldiers stationed at the main door, both armed with assault rifles, along with a group of about twenty females all wearing IS pilot suits who were all lined up. Computers and data hard drives were what filled the vast majority of the room, but that wasn't what had caught Jackson's attention, instead he was staring straight at what was only described as the reason for the construction of this room. Standing at the far side of the room, hooked by a series of cables that connected the the data hard drives and computers was a Gun Metal coloured IS Unit the likes of which he had never seen before in his life. The entire Unit was covered in armour that completely covered whoever was piloting it, and the machine was doing something Jackson could only describe as unusual for some case. He watched as one of the females in the room was called to stand in front of the IS and it slowly approached the young woman, who holds out her arm as the machine began to emit what could only be described as green lasers from its palms and the tips of the antennas on its head, scanning up and down the girls form for a good few seconds until it stopped and moved back to the wall. He heard the monitors and computer screens buzzing to life as all the data gathered by the IS was displayed for the scientists, but for some reason they seemed to be displeased with the results.

"Damn... eighty-three point one percent compatibility, we're still short of our target." He overhears one of the men in lab coats say whilst looking down at the screen in front of him.

"That's the sixth test subject today... What is stopping us from finding a pilot with a compatibility ratio of ninety percent?" Another scientist says, sounding equally as disappointed.

"Compatibility ratio?" Jackson thought to himself, confused by what the scientists were talking about. He never thought that this would be a method as to how IS pilots were found, but the more pressing subject on his mind was why they were scanning these girls for a compatibility ratio if there is already someone controlling the IS that was scanning them in the first place... Unless.

He leans further forward to get a clearer look at the machine in question, and to be honest he could see if there really was anyone... or in any case anything that seemed to be piloting it, and even its movements appeared to be rather mechanical. And after noticing this, an overwhelming feeling of disbelief sweeps over the young man as he realised he was watching something he personally deemed impossible.

Was that IS controlling... Itself?

He leaned a little further to gazed at the IS, unable to process the fact that it could be unmanned... When.

 _SNAP_!

The thin metal of the vent breaks under his body weight and Jackson cries out as he falls through the vent, barely managing to react in time as he twisted his body to land on his side before hitting the floor. Sending the whole room into a state of shock, and disbelief.

"Ouch... That's gonna leave a mark." Jackson groans as he picks himself off the floor, clutching his arm which was now aching from the force of his impact. He looks up to see the entire room of scientists, military personnel and test pilots all staring at him with the same shocked expression on their faces.

It takes a few seconds for Jackson to process what was just about to happen next.

"Uh oh." was all the young man was able to mutter out, as one of the test pilots point an accusing finger at him, screaming out.

"INTRUDER!"

It wasn't long after that until the alarm was raised and he found himself held at gunpoint by the security guards as well as more soldiers who were on standby outside the room. Slightly panicked by having so many assault rifles pointed at him, he holds up his good arm to indicate that he meant no harm, two of the soldiers move forward to subdue him.

But what happened next was nothing anyone was prepared for.

Before the two men made contact with him, the IS that was standing behind Jackson sudden jumps forward and shields him with its arms, and before anyone could react it lashes out, swatting the two solders back like flies. All the scientists start to go into a panic, shouting to cut the power of shut down the IS fearing it had gone rouge as the rest of the solders stand their ground and train their sights on the machine in case of the worst. The IS ignored the men surrounding it and turns its attention to the boy standing in front of it.

Turning round to look up at the machine, Jackson is unable to understand why it stopped those men for taking him away. He stands there dumbfounded as the IS suddenly stepped back and holds its palms out, the familiar green lasers shooting out to scan his form. All the scientists were completely taken over by what they were seeing, as they believed it to be impossible that the IS was able to give him a compatibility scan, and seeing that he was a male, most of them were unable to think of how the scanners were even recognising him in the first place. The IS scanned Jackson for a few seconds longer than it did to the previous girl and when it stopped, it moved to shield him again from the soldiers. Looking past them, Jackson spots the scientists turn their attention to the computer screens as the data gathered by IS was displayed out for them to see... And almost instantly they all turn to look at him, all with the same and rather strange expression of confused astonishment.

By this point, some of the bases superior officers including Trixie had entered the room to demand an explanation for the alarm being raised, but upon seeing the young man being hugged by the IS she freezes up almost instantly.

"J-Jackson!" She stutters out, gaining a few displeased looks from the higher ranking officers beside her. Jackson turns to look at her, a small smile creeps onto his face.

"Does this mean we aren't getting pizza later, Trix?" He chuckles awkwardly.


	6. Trial Phase

**Rising Potential**

 **Part Two: Trial Phase**

* * *

It had been six hours since he had been scanned by the IS, and was now being held inside a containment chamber within Compound (Tridents) research facility. They had finally managed to get him out of the IS's grasp eventually, this being done by ordering the soldiers to lower their weapons to show no intention of harming the young boy as to not provoke the machine any further. However before he was taken out of the room, one of the scientists asked them to keep a hold of him and inform (The Boss) about the results that the IS had shown after the incident was over. Hence why he was now lying down on a stone hard mattress, staring up at the ceiling of the tiny room he was no being held in. Yet despite all this, the one thing on his mind was why those scientists wanted to keep a hold on him, and more importantly... what exactly was it that the IS had displayed in those scan results.

He contemplates on those thoughts as he undoubtedly felt a little confused. He could understand the soldiers and officers reactions towards this incident (Seeing that he technically broke into a military base) but he couldn't understand what those scientists were getting so worked up over. I mean it's impossible for a male to be compatible with an IS, or pilot one... Isn't it?

His thoughts however are short lived as he hears the distinctive hiss of his chamber door opening. Getting up from his uncomfortable mattress he almost instantly recognises Trixie as she entered the small room, her arms folded and seemed to have a disgruntled look about her expression. Probably because she was still mad at Jackson for the trouble that hiding inside her jeep in order to sneak into the base had caused her. However there were two other people with her as well that Jackson didn't recognise. One of them appeared to be one of the scientists that he presumed was involved with whatever project that IS was involved in, only this one was a female, probably in her late twenties by the look of it. She was wearing a black lab coat and was holding a tablet of some sort in her hands. The other person who was there was a male, another officer to be more precise as this was shown by the volume of medals and badges on his uniform. All of this was a clear indication that he was a far higher rank than Trixie, causing Jackson to assume that this guy was (The Boss) that the scientists had asked to call upon.

Looking down, Jackson noticed that the man was holding his lucky hat in his hands, a small scowling expression forms on his face as he recalls not even getting the opportunity to pick after the IS let him go. After taking a few seconds to look at the hat as if he was examining it, the man turns his attention to its owner with a rather disgruntled look of his own.

"Boy, do you have any idea what you've gotten into." The Officer said in a firm tone. Jackson however just folds his arms at the man.

"And you are?"

The officer is caught off guard by the young mans cockiness.

"I'm Captain: Arnold Gallier. And I'm the one in charge of Compound Trident. You should be more respectful towards an officer, Kid." The man snaps, clearly displeased by Jakes rather laid back attitude towards the situation, but he was however unfazed by the angry man standing in front of him and casually speaks again.

"I see... So I take it you're (The Boss) those scientists called for."

"Actually, that would happen to be me." This time it was the woman in the lab coat that suddenly spoke up.

"Huh?" Jake said and turns his head to look at the woman, admittedly a little surprised by hearing that. The scientist gives him a warming smile, which was a lot more comforting to him than the expression on the officers face.

"Never mind the Captains rather disgruntled mood, kid. He might be in charge of the base, but fortunately for you, I am the one in charge of the research facility you were found in." The woman said, trying to shed a little light for the now confused teenager by explaining the situation. The officer standing next to her just seemed to grunt after hearing this, clearly annoyed about it.

"Damn right it's fortunate for you, son. Had you have been caught anywhere else other than that facility, then I would have had the right to charge you for infiltrating a military base, spying on classified experimentations and overall Treason."

This guy was obviously mad at Jake for this. Most likely because it wouldn't go down very well if other officers of the same rank were to find out that a fourteen year old boy had managed to sneak into a military complex that was under his command. Jake just chuckled internally to myself at the thought of that. However he is quickly snapped back reality when he heard the man talk again.

"However... Thanks to both Doctor: Galloway's decision and soft-hartedness." Captain Gallier turns his head to look at the woman standing beside him to show his rather annoyed expression before turning back to the boy. "It looks like you'll be dodging that bullet."

Finishing his sentence, the man tossed Jakes hat in his direction like a throwing disk. Which he catches in his hand with ease, refusing to take an eye for the officer.

"Anyway... You can tell him whatever the reason you were so happy to see him was. I've got more important things to do than deal with this kid."

And upon saying that, the Captain walks out of the containment cell to carry on attending to his duties. The woman turns round just to check he really was gone before settling her attention on the boy in front of her.

"Like I said, never mind the Captain Kid. the only reason he was here was because we required his clearance as well in order to access this section of the containment facility." She said smiling at the young man.

"Oh, so that's why." Jake said as he puts his hat back on. "I just thought he was here just because he liked hearing the sound of his own voice when talking down to others."

"Well... There was that to." Trixie added in. The three of them let out a chuckle at their little joke, before the woman in the lab coat spoke up again.

"Anyway, moving on from that. My name is Sabrina Galloway, I'm the head of the Infinite Stratos research and development team stationed here at Compound Trident. Nice to meet you Mr. Jackson." Sabrina said as she steps forward and holds out a hand to shake with Jackson.

"I trust the captains men weren't too rough on bringing you in." She added in.

"No, not really." Jackson said, stepping forward to shake hands with Sabrina. "It's nice to meet you to Miss Galloway, but mind if I ask why you aren't charging me."

After hearing him speak, Sabrina cleared her throat and began to explain why she had a different approach towards Jackson compared to Captain Gallier.

"Well, my colleges informed me about you... Dropping in on us."

"Yeah, uh... Sorry about that." Jackson chuckles awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head feeling slightly embarrassed. Sabrina just smiles at him.

"No,no it's alright, I'm just glad to see that it doesn't look like you hurt yourself. Anyway they told me that you ended up getting a compatibility scan from the IS Unit that you encountered in the lab, which I found rather unusual enough, considering that since you're a male the scanners shouldn't have picked you up for that. But when they showed me the results..."

Sabrina pauses for a moment to look at the screen of her tablet, an expression forms on her face as if she was struggling to come to believe whatever was in front of her. She then looks back up at Jackson.

"They... Even managed to shock me beyond believing them."

By this point Jackson was metaphorically on the edge of his seat, all he'd been hearing from these scientists was how whatever happened after that IS had scanned him was something that had all of them in a state of shock and disbelief, but he had never been able to hear what it was yet for himself.

"What the hell did that machine tell them." He said to himself, wondering what it could have been. Then Sabrina asked him something he really wasn't expecting.

"Mr. Jackson, we would like you to stay with us to undertake some tests and a few experiments, for data collection purposes."

"What?" Was all he could manage to say, completely taken back what he just heard.

"You don't have to if you don't want to, and I'm not going to charge you for this whole incident." Sabrina quickly said, worried that she had scared Jake by openly asking him about conducting tests on him. But he reassures her just as quickly that he wasn't scared, if more he was just curious as to why she wanted to test him.

"I think it would open up a lot of incredibly beneficial opportunities for you, and you would be helping both us and your country in our stride for developing a new generation of IS Units if you complied. So what do you say kid, up for it?" She answers kindly. Jake takes a minute to think about the proposal, wondering that if he did he go through with it, he could maybe find out about what that IS said in those results once and for all. He turned to look at Trixie who was still standing near the door of the cell, she notices the expression on Jackson's face and couldn't help but laugh a little at him.

"Don't worry JJ, they're not like those Weapon X guys from those X-Men films we've seen, they won't do anything to hurt you. If you do agree, you'll be in good hands." She said to wipe out any worrying thoughts in the boys head. Jake couldn't help but laugh himself at the reference that Trixie had just used. And now that he'd thought about it, there was only one logical way to answer. And with that thought at the forefront of his mind, he looks back at Sabrina with a grin on his face.

"I'd say... You got yourself a test subject." He said nodding at her. A big smile forms on Sabrina, delighted that he complies with the idea.

"Excellent. If you don't mind, we would like to start right away seeing that my colleges have been dying to meet you since earlier today." She chuckles as she gestured Jackson out of the containment cell. He smiles and followed the woman out of the tiny room.

"Right this way Mr. Jackson." Sabrina said as she lead the way.

"Just call me Jake." He replies kindly, walking in the direction of the research test facilities. One thought filling his head.

"Looks like my lucky hat ain't run dry just yet, Haha."

* * *

By now it had been nearly a week since he had agreed to go through with Doctor Galloway's proposal and he was still at the IS research and development facility at the Compound. Unfortunately, due to the level of confidentiality regarding these tests and the fact that he was a male involved with the IS project, he had to be kept within another containment chamber in order to make sure that his secret was to remain safe, no news was to be spread to anyone, not even any of the base personal at the Compound that hadn't yet seen him.

This secret remains here.

Of course, it would prove to be impossible. He knew that. Sooner or later, some word was going to get out.

It wasn't all bad though, thanks to some string pulling from Sabrina and some supplies brought from Trixie he was able to at least be more comfortable in his room during his containment compared to the one the Captain had shoved him in. For starters they had given him a mattress that wasn't as hard as a rock and sheets that didn't give him a tough time sleeping, also they managed to get some of his favourite Manga's from his room back at Trixie's as well as his portable gaming device, which they charged regularly when he was undergoing tests.

For the past few days, they've done several tests on him- mainly IS compatibility tests, anatomy tests, brain wave scans, blood tests, retinal scans as well as several DNA map extracts for study- but he hadn't been allowed to do anything much at all.

But he soon ended up with the biggest of shocks he found out that the test showed that he'd been deemed of having an IS compatibility level of Rank-S.

The highest rank a pilot could ascertain.

And the longer he stayed, the more he learned about what was going on at that research facility. After once discussing about it with Sabrina, he found out that the IS he encountered in the lab was a special prototype codenamed: (Storm Ghost). It was an early Third Generation type IS that created itself through the complex development of genetic algorithm, it took some time for him to properly understand the details but when he finally did, he was truly amazed by how such a machine was created. What Sabrina and her colleagues had done was take multiple different types of IS units, all with their own set abilities and break them down into binary coded data and merge them together, this data crossover caused the binary codes to reform their self and create a variety of new and unique IS units. These units were then put to the test of natural selection through a virtual reality simulation where the strongest, most adaptable and most promising designs came out on top. And then when it came down to the final two designs, Sabrina had them broken down and merged again.

The final result of this extremely complicated and expensive experiment...

The worlds first multi-purpose Hybrid IS unit, a unit that was able to adapt to its pilots fighting style and change to another should the pilot ever do so, as well as have the ability to be heavily modified to suit any range of combat within a fraction of the time it would take to adapt any other IS for a different range of engagement. By this point Jackson had found out that (Storm Ghost) was indeed a piloted type IS, but when he saw it back at the lab when he had his incident, he'd also learned that it actually had a manikin inside it in order to fully deploy the suit, and that it was being controlled by a semiautonomous artificial intelligence unit that was "Coded" into its Core. The purpose for such an idea was that by creating a secondary pilot for the IS, the artificial intelligence unit would focus on monitoring the IS's systems and modules and maintain them, meaning the pilot could focus on the situation as it evolves and not have to worry about any internal distractions.

And that was just the beginning of (Storm Ghosts) technological advancements, in Jackson's mind the sheer amount capabilities and prospects that IS held were limitless.

If it wasn't for its one fundamental weakness.

Because the IS was created through multiple trials of genetic algorithm, the final product had become so powerful that the requirements needed for a pilot to operate it were just too much for an average person to cope with. So Sabrina and her entire team had been slaving day and night to try and find out exactly what kind of requirements were needed in order to find a pilot that could both keep up with (Storm Ghosts) reaction times, and be able to cope with the harsher conditions of piloting it, such as the increased G-Forces it would throw at them during combat. Unfortunately progress on that side of the project had not gotten any further than when they started six months ago after the IS was first created, all they knew for certain was that only a person with a compatibility Level of Rank:S or a ratio of over ninety percent from the compatibility scan would be capable of piloting it.

Sadly though, even though he had a Rank:S compatibility level, not even Jake was permitted to undertake any tests regarding (Storm Ghost) solely because that IS was built for a very special purpose, and seeing that not even the CEO of the company that employed Sabrina and her team knew about his existence it wouldn't be a good idea to just let him use the suit in case something was to happen.

Admittedly he was a little disappointed by that, but he understood why, so never really argued against it. Instead he was issued an M-32 Scorpio IS unit to practice in as well as being assigned to a squadron. And what impressed the majority of the veteran pilots the most was his level of skill and his ability to adapt to an evolving situation. He was able to destroy his targets with amazing precision, which several of the veterans had deemed a fluke and demanded a match with him- all of which he had won by suddenly changing his tactics. Instead of matching his opposition by attacking with his IS's assault rifle, he had switched to it's secondary weapon which were two curved blades that attached to his forearms, when coupling his abnormally faster reaction speeds with the hyper-sensors, it gave him an edge over most pilots, allowing him to dodge their fire quite easily and get right up close and personal with them in close range combat, where his skill seemed to excel at even more than target practice. This drove several of the pilots to have a rivalry with him, and that had also started his friendship with the others as well. Although he was glad for that, he still did not find having to remain hidden in the center to be something of a comfort.

But two weeks later, he finally decided to start making his own decision on this. During the end of another one of his practical exercises he approached Sabrina again, and asked her a question even she wasn't prepared to hear.

He wanted to talk to the her CEO, and ask to be a part of whatever project (Storm Ghost) was built for, that he wanted to be the pilot for that IS. This naturally caused Sabrina to be engulfed in surprise, and she couldn't really believe that Jake had requested such an idea. However, armed with the fact that she and her team had spent six months searching for a pilot and had no luck in doing so, and backed up by the promising data that was collected from Jake's test, passing an opportunity like this was just as crazy as authorising it. And after much negotiation, she agreed that she would try and puts the word out to the CEO about a possible pilot being found. Jackson went on to continue staying at the Compound, until a couple of days after putting the word out, he was informed that the CEO had arrived in Texas and was wanting to meet him in person.

Outside of the base.

This was a somewhat relieving feeling for him, considering that all he has been able to do during his spare time was read Manga and play video games for the last three weeks, something even a teenager like Jackson had managed to grow bored of eventually. Next thing he knows, he's being driven back into Dallas with Sabrina in one of the Company vehicles to meet the CEO, they were taken to an executive plaza located in the centre of the city, where he was met by two men dressed in black suits and sunglasses.

"This is as far as I go for now, Jake" Sabrina said as both her and Jackson watch the two men approach the vehicle. "Try not to get too nervous if my boss seems a little forward. He's was just very surprised after I informed him you were a male."

Jackson turns to look at the woman sitting beside him, giving her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, I'll cope with it just fine."

The two men open the door and gesture him towards the plaza entrance, after that they entered the elevator and stopped at the VIP section located at the top of the plaza. The men lead Jake to a suite where he was finally met by the CEO.

He was a well presented man in a grey suit and black tie, he was sitting at the table at the far end of the suite where Jackson steps forward to approach him, but stops short of the table for a second. The man looks up at the boy.

"Please. Take a seat." His tone was firm and despite his English, he carried an unmistakably strong Russian accent. Complying with his requests, Jake took a seat at the other side of the table and meets eyes with the man sitting opposite him. He couldn't help but feel an unusual tenseness about the whole atmosphere around him, and that rather serious expression on the mans face wasn't aiding anything either.

"So, you are the boy that Sabrina has told me about."

"That's me... Jake Jackson."

His reply was short and sharp as he looks at the man with a calm yet serious expression of his own.

"So... Breaking into one of my research facilities, eavesdropping on my scientists conducting classified experiments and now demanding that you call me out in order to try and claim possession over one of the most powerful and expensive IS unit that belong to me... You must think you're pretty good, kid."

A few moments went by where neither of them speak, he is unable to think of a logical way of answering that, Jackson couldn't help but feel like this man was seemingly disgruntled by this whole situation, just like the Captain from the Compound was. He was silently praying that wasn't the case, but then all of a sudden the man began to chuckle out loud, honestly catching Jake off guard.

That was unexpected.

After the man had stopped, he looks at Jake again, his serious expression now replaced by a more welcoming one.

"Well you're pretty Damn good if you were able to do that to a company like mine. Nice to meet you in person, Jake." He said as he reached out a hand to shake with him. "Call me Maverick. CEO of FEISAR incorporated."

A wave of relief washes over Jake, it seemed that the CEO wasn't even bothered by how they had managed to cross paths... If that, he seemed to to look like he was impressed by how it happened. And after finally feeling the tense atmosphere he sensed before seem to disappear. Jackson smiles himself.

"Nice to meet you, Maverick." said Jackson, shaking hands with the man. " huh, not sure if I've heard of that before. I take it that it's not an ordinary Company, seeing that you have an IS like (Storm Ghost) right."

Maverick nods at him. "Da, we're a Private Military Company (PMC) that uses IS technology in the field."

Jakes raises a brow to this.

"Huh? I thought the International IS Peace Treaty prohibited all use of IS technology and equipment for military operations." He said, rubbing the back of his head, confused with how to understand what allowed this company to have IS units for military use.

"That is correct, the international peace treaty does forbid that." Saying this Maverick smiles at him. "However it's just like you said.. FEISAR Isn't a normal company."

"So what makes them different." Asked Jackson.

"Yes, we are a PMC, but we aren't a nation lead military force therefore the rules we're bound by are slightly different. IS Units run by us can operate in more areas than ones owned by national forces without stirring up any sort of conflict. However the biggest difference between FEISAR and other PMC's is that all contracts issued out by us involving IS units are solely focused on Security enforcement."

"So... like body guarding or somethin?" Said Jackson, leaning forward and resting his chin on the top of his knuckles as he listens to the man in front of him. Maverick nods at him

"Da, we use them to protect High Value Individuals." He said leaning back against his chair. "Mostly people like world leaders needing escorted to a certain destination. We protect them from Guerrilla forces hired to abduct or assassinate them, and by operating like this we aren't penalised by the IS peace treaty for using them as weapons of war."

After saying this, Maverick picks up a file that was next to him and runs through the details written in it. Then turns to Jake.

"Hmmm, from what Sabrina has been able to learn about you, it seems you have quite a gift here Jake." He said whilst reading over the file. "You're fast, strong and very adaptive, all things I require from people that work for me in the field. And seeing as you've gotten yourself this far, then I don't see why we shouldn't see how much further you can go."

Jackson felt his pulse start to pick up the pace at the sound of those words.

"D-does this mean you're considering letting me join FEISAR?" He asked enthusiastically, his sudden mode enlightenment gains a smile from Maverick.

"It would be a waste of an opportunity not to." He answers.

Jackson feels a rush of excitement shoot through his body, he almost jumped up from his seat in a fit of joy after being told that he was going to be given a chance to work in an IS corporation, but ultimately... He would be given a chance to pilot (Strom Ghost). He remains to stay composed though, reminding himself that he has to act his age and not like a little kid. But regardless his best efforts, he couldn't help but feel that Maverick could see all the childlike excitement glinting in his eyes.

"I... I. I don't know what to say. Other than thank you so much, Maverick." Jackson stutters, completely at a loss for words on how to thank the man in front of him for giving him such an opportunity.

"Just hold your horses for a minute there, kid." Maverick chuckles at him. "You've only just got your foot in door. Now you'll have to prove yourself worthy of being a pilot for my company."

 _Ah yes, of course. the typical trial phase_.

"And how will I do that?" Jackson asks.

"I think the fairest way would be to have you undertake the same training regime that the rest of my pilots went through. So here is what I propose." Maverick said, clearly in deep thought of how to make Jackson truly prove himself. He clears his throat and begins to explain his idea.

"Ahem... As of now, FEISAR incorporated officially grants you permission to undertake testing protocols and combat training exercises with I-S-X-C-S Unit: 005 Codenamed (Storm Ghost). I will grant you and Sabrina two weeks from now to use whatever data you have already collected from your previous tests to adapt the IS to whatever fighting style best suits you. After that, you will be transferred to FEISAR'S primary IS training and operations headquarters, other wise known as (Compound Scythe and Shield). From there you will undertake the same twenty-two Month theoretical and practical training program that the rest of the pilots passed. At the end of that, should you continue to show good potential, you will face one final task. Should you succeed, and I will personally enrol you as a member of FEISAR'S Elite IS Squadron. As well as officially deem (Storm Ghost) as your personal IS unit."

Maverick reached out a hand to Jake. "So what do you say, kid."

Jackson takes a second to process everything that Maverick had just told him. It was a tall order no matter what way it was approached, only having a short period of time to adapt to an IS he hadn't even got to know yet, then there would be this long and predictably tough training program and this final task of whatever it was that was planned for him should he manage to make it that far. But he wasn't going to back down, not now, he'd shown that he was capable of proving himself a worthy pilot, that he would eventually show the world what (Storm Ghost) could do with a real pilot flying it... That he would be the greatest success that FEISAR ever created. With those thoughts at the forefront of his mind, Jackson looks at Maverick with the biggest of smiles on his face.

"If that's what you're proposing, then I say... I accept." He said brightly as he reaches out to shake hands with Maverick, who returns the smile after hearing that.

"I like you, Jake." He chuckled lightly. "You seem to have quite some determination to succeed. I admire that."

And with those final words, the two of them decide that their business with each other was concluded for today. Thanking Maverick one last time, Jackson excuses himself from the table and is escorted by The bodyguards back down the Plaza entrance, where he was met by Sabrina who had been patiently waiting for him to return from his meeting with Maverick.

"Well... That took a little longer than I was expecting." She said as Jake gets back into the vehicle.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you wait that much." Jackson apologised, but Sabrina just gave him a smile.

"No, no it's perfectly fine. So how was it meeting my boss for the first time." She asked before ordering the driver to escort them back to the base.  
Jackson could only chuckle brightly at her.

"He's... an interesting person, to say the least." He said, gaining a laugh from Sabrina.

"Well, that's always been Maverick in general. And I have to say, he was very interested in meeting you after I told him that a male IS pilot had been discovered in one of his facilities." Sabrina said smiling at the boy sitting next to her.

"So... what is to happen now?" She asked, curious more than ever to hear what Jackson had discussed in that meeting. He turns to look at her with a smile, chuckling out.

"Now... Now the fun really starts."


	7. Final Task

**Rising Potential**

 **Part Three: Final Task**

* * *

"Alright Jake, try her on." Sabrina said as she finished working on her computer as she gestures him in the direction of the IS, dressed in his newly custom fitted IS suit, Jackson steps forward and moves closer to (Storm Ghost). It was the day after his meeting with Maverick and he was getting ready to be the first person to pilot the IS, and for the past few hours last night, Sabrina and her team had used the data collected from his anatomy tests to reconstruct the Exo-Structure of the Unit in order for it to accommodate his male figure. The whole room was silent as the scientists watch the young man come into contact with the machine, unable to think of what was going to happen next. Jackson slips into the IS's cockpit, snugly fitting into it without any problems.

His body jolts as a sudden rush of data surges into his brain. It was a strange sensation, it was different from the feeling he received when he deployed the M-32 Sporpio that he'd trained in, yet, he understood everything, and he knew that it only meant one thing.

He had successfully activated (Storm Ghost).

He felt the IS begin to form it's full deployment mode, its armour wrapping itself tightly around his torso, locking round his arms and legs, the gaps quickly closing up as the IS linked his body with itself, and soon enough, only his face was visible to the scientists as (Storm Ghost) stood before them, completely controlled by its new pilot.

And although it was theoretically proven that he could have activated the IS, the scientists were still at a loss for words when they physically saw him do it right in front of them.

Jackson moves his head round a bit, looking down at the machine that now encased his body, he opens and closes his hands a couple of times, rolling his shoulders a little. Feeling the ease of the IS moving with his body he smiles as he turns to face Sabrina, who was smiling right back at him.

"So, how does she feel Jake?"

"Amazing." Was all he could answer. He positioned himself in a balanced stance and throws out a quick three punch combo and an uppercut, showboating the speed of his strikes before letting off a laugh of enjoyment.

"She's just amazing... And feels so much faster than the M-32's I practiced with."

"Well I should hope so." Sabrina cackles as she walks up him with her tablet in hand. "Because it cost us the same amount of money to create (Storm Ghost) as it would've cost to build at least Twenty M-32's."

Jackson's eyes widen at that.

"WHAT! That much." He said looking at the suit.

"That's right... No pressure, but let's try not to ascertain any unnecessary damage." Sabrina said as she brings up a screen on her tablet, assessing the data shown before her.

"We just need to do a little more calibration work on the IS and you. Then we can get started on adaptation and weaponisation."

"Weaponisation?" Jackson said, sounding a little confused by that. "So (Storm Ghost) doesn't have any default weapons or something?"

Sabrina shakes her head.

"That's the beauty of a Hybrid Type IS like (Storm Ghost) Jake. It's incredibly easy to heavily customise itself to fight using whatever style its pilot is best suited for, and surpass other units that were specifically made to fight using that same style. But should the pilot evolve to a different fighting style, (Storm Ghost) can adapt to that change very easily."

* * *

"That's pretty impressive." Houki said before taking a drink from her cup as the group listen to Jackson's story. "So your IS is able to quickly switch between fighting styles without any problems."

Jackson nods at her.

"Technically it can, but in honesty I have only fought with one particular method." He said, spinning his knife round in his fingers. Rin speaks next.

"And what method was that." She said resting her chin on her knuckles. Jackson turns to look at her with a smile on his face.

"I normally prefer to overpower opponents at close range thanks to my advantage in speed and manoeuvrability, but by customising (Storm Ghost) to carry mid to long range weapons as well, I can just as easily match them should I ever end up in a fight where my sword isn't going to cut it." He replies, chuckling a little at the last part of what he just said. The group took a second to take in what he said, a little surprised that he was being so open about his preferred method of attack. Ichika then noticed that Cecilia seemed to be deep in thought about something, rubbing her thumb against her chin.

"That's quite a clever idea, if I do say so." She said, almost immediately gaining the looks of the rest of the group, urging her to continue. "So in theory, your IS really is a close range type. However you have heavily modified it to put up an equally formidable fight when it's engaged from Mid to Long range as well."

Jake takes a moment to think about her supposed theory, then nods in confirmation at the English blonde.

"That's a similar way of identifying it." He says before taking a drink himself. Laura, who was still sitting next to him, contemplated on the roll type of Jackson's personal unit, thinking up a theory of her own.

"An interesting thought. However I must digress, to me it seems more like a Multi-Roll type unit that was modified to be more dangerous the closer it got to its target."

Jake turns to look at the silver haired girl next to him.

"Actually.. I would agree more on that rather than the other theory, after all near enough all my opponents I faces were taken out at close range."

Laura shows a small triumphant smile, clearly caused by how she was deemed the right one. Cecilia on the other hand furrowed her brow in frustration as her theory was just quickly shot down without any second thoughts.

"Anyway... What did you do next, after learning that the IS could adapt?" Asked Charlotte, urging Jackson to continue his story. He takes a second to rake through his thoughts to were he left off, before continuing on.

"Well, after that, me and Sabrina studied the data collected from my practical tests and my physical fitness levels, and decided that the best option was for the IS to be customised for Multi-Purpose rolls in order to have a wide range of attack. However we put a slight twist in the design and focused more on its speed and manoeuvrability as well as more powerful weapon systems that would be most effective at close range. So it's a little more like what Laura just said... The closer (Storm Ghost) got to its target, the deadlier it became."

(Took a hell of a long time to achieve that though, I swear we must have spent at least nine days going through all the weapon combinations before we found the one that best suited me.)

* * *

BOOM!

The sound of Three simultaneous explosions ripped through the air as a row of decommissioned supply trucks exploded into a ball of flames as bright blue shots of plasmatic energy tear through them like play-dough, then an immobilised M1A1 Abrams stationed three hundred meters away is blasted to pieces by two snub-sized Hell Fire missiles that smack into its side armour, raining shredded metal and debris all around the wreckage. There was now two targets remaining, one hidden from sight, the other, an Armoured Personnel Carrier just to the left, this one protected by a portable force field generator. However, a well executed counter measure was played against this, as two Electro-Magnetic-Grenades detonate either side of the shield, rendering it useless, and leaving the APC totally exposed as another salvo of explosive plasma rips through its armour, decimating the dummies hidden inside to resemble the crew. Towering pillars of black smoke litter the area as the machine responsible for this destruction scans the surroundings for its hidden target, then its sensors suddenly picked it up, a military jeep which was being remote controlled from a safer distance comes speeding round the corner of a hanger and straight for the machine in an attempt to ram it. The machine stands its ground and waits for its target to close the gap, then quickly acts by firing a pair of fifty miler-metre high explosive rockets, they detonate at the rear of the jeep on either side, sending it a front flip as it continues to fly towards the machine.

The sound of metal gliding through metal rings through the air.

The jeep is split into two sections as it passes the machine and crashes to the ground. The scientists stood there, watching from the observation post as the powerful machine stands there in an offensive stance, wielding a seven foot long single edged sword, its blade glowing a bright shade of purple, some of them even clapping in applause of this machines display.

And that machine, was no other than Jackson and (Storm Ghost). He stands there for a few moments to admire the Primary weapon he had built for the IS, watching as bolts of what could only be described as purple lightning flow from the tip of the sword and wrapped its way round his arm like a tesla-coil, and with every twist and slash of the blade, a faint humming sound could be heard from it. He smiles brightly from behind the armoured plating that covered his face as he turned round to look up and see Sabrina watching him from the observation post with a smile of her own.

"Okay Jake. That'll do for today, return to the hanger for your debrief." She said over the coms as she ends the weapons test, which she had personally had set up near the edge of the compound in order to allow Jake to test the weapons systems on the IS without having to worry about anyone else seeing him. Jackson complies to her order, and after returning his sword to the sheath attached to his back, he begins to make his way back to the hanger where (Storm Ghost) was stored.

"You two have really taken that IS to a new level, haven't you Dr. Galloway." Said one of the head scientists as he went over the data collected from the test. Sabrina couldn't help but grin herself.

"I agree. I must be honest, although we knew the IS was going to be a breakthrough, even I wasn't expecting it to have grown this powerful in such a short period of time." she said as she walks over to look at the data herself.

"He has surpassed every other pilots skill level in nearly every aspect, and he's only been in an IS for just over a few weeks." She mutters softly. "No matter what way you look at it, it's astonishing."

"It's all thanks to the IS you built for him." Said the man standing next the Sabrina. "Your work is truly astounding, Dr. Galloway."

But Sabrina shook her head at this.

"No... It's not just me, Jake was the one who kept wanting to try new weapon combinations. And although it took us a considerable amount of time, we made (Storm Ghost) even better that we would've done without him. He's partly to thank for this as well."

The other head scientist stood there for a second, before he smiles at his colleague and nods in understanding.

After exchanging a few more words of progress with each other, Sabrina took her leave and heads for the hanger that Jackson was still in. Walking inside the building, she sees him standing arms folded in front of the IS as it was being assessed by the technical crews.

"Nice show there, hot shot." she calls out as she approached Jake, who lets off a little laugh as he turns to face her.

"Hey Doc. How'd I do?" He asks. Sabrina looks at her tablet with a smile.

"You were 2.43 seconds quicker through that run than last time."

Jake puts on an expression of satisfaction. "I think that's a good level of progress."

"More than good I'd say." Said Sabrina as she looks up at (Storm Ghost) as well. The two of them had brought that IS a long way since they started two weeks ago. What was first a highly adaptable machine, was now a fast and formidable multi-range fighter.

They had completely redesigned the wing structure to be lightweight and reduce drag for high speed flight, whilst still maintaining its sturdiness to withstand high G-Force manoeuvring, each wing was programmed with a special operations module tagged (unsymmetrical unison) meaning that each one could carry out its own order of movements at the same time. This meant that Jake could perform highly advanced aerial manoeuvres that IS Units running on (symmetrical unison) modules wouldn't be able to do. The wings were a bit bulkier than originally designed, but they were perfect for housing the twelve T-82X Turgon-Thrusters that boasted being one of the most powerful IS propulsion systems ever made, pushing him to speeds that would most likely tear another unit to shreds, but thanks to (Storm Ghosts) reinforce exo-structure and full body armour type cockpit suit, it could easily protect Jake from the harsh outer elements the IS would face.

And as well as powerful thruster systems and advanced manoeuvrability packages, the main bulk of his arsenal of weaponry was also stored in the wings for stealth capability, and its armament spoke for itself. For long range engagements (Storm Ghost) was armed with two pods concealed within its lower wings that fired radar guided snub-sized Hell-Fire missiles, and then in the upper wings, there were six high velocity plasmatic energy cannons, each one firing super heated shots of plasma that were capable of ripping through steel like melted butter at a rate of five rounds per second. For mid to close range fights, (Storm Ghost) was equipped with four more pods in the lower wings, two loaded with a five shot clip of MK-III fifty millimetre (Dragon Tongue) high explosive rockets, and two that hid six E13 (Thunder Wave) Electro-Magnetic-Grenades, that when detonated, release a powerful pulse wave that was capable of temporarily stunning and effectively disabling an IS unit for a few moments. But despite this advanced arsenal of technology, none of them were as powerful as the (Storm Ghosts) Primary close range weapon, a technology breakthrough that would redefined the effectiveness of melee combat. The HF (High Frequency) Blade, a sword able to overpower any other weapon that came within its range. It worked by channeling an alternating current through the blade from a secondary power source hidden in the IS, this sustained electrical current set the blade to vibrate at a intense frequency (which was what caused the blade to hum).

The result.

Not only was the overall quality and strength of the material used to construct the blade increased. But when ever it made contact with a target, it electrically destabilised the molecular bonding that held the targets atoms together, increasing its cutting force dramatically. Meaning Jackson was able to cut through some of the densest materials ever made with deadly accuracy.

However, this powerful ability came with the price of having to cannibalise some of the storage used for his energy shield to make the secondary power source, meaning he couldn't take as much damage as other IS units could, but that one drawback was clearly overbalanced by the strength of the IS. And it wasn't like they didn't counter this drawback, and with a little tweaking from Sabrina, not only did they create a sword that grew stronger from IS shield energy, but they also gave it the ability to absorb shield energy from another IS if it struck the pilot protection shield, meaning that Jackson could replenish his secondary power source without draining his own shield.

Sabrina looks down to look at Jake, who seemed to have his thoughts lost somewhere else, but by the expression on his face, he seemed to be disappointed in something.

"What's the matter, Jake?" She asked sounding a little dumbfounded by his expression. Jake didn't answer straight away, he seemed to be deep in thought about something, and it wasn't till the second time he heard Sabrina say his name that he finally snapped back to reality again.

"Oh, nothing. It's just..." He sighs as he looks out the hanger door to see the bright blue sky that lit up the complex. Then turns back to look at Sabrina with a forced smile on his face. "Today's the day."

Sabrina raises a brow to him.

"I thought you'd be excited for this." She said.

"I am, it's just..."

Sabrina manages to find a smile of sympathy for the young man, it wasn't because he was worried about the trials that he was going to be facing soon. It was the fact that today was the day he was to be transferred to Compound (Scythe and Shield)

His existence still remained unknown to the world, and unknown to the Leaders of Compound (Trident), and for that, he was thankful, but leaving Sabrina, his fellow test pilots and the staff of the research lab, all of which he'd grown rather fond of and all of whom had grown fond of him, was somewhat painful to him and he was barely able to hold the tears back at the thought of when he knew the time would come for him to leave for his new base. However, there was one thing he had to do before leaving. He knew that information about [Phantoms Cloak] a secretly designed piece of technology that was later dubbed one of (Storm Ghosts) Third Generation special abilities, had been reported to the higher ups of the (Trident), and he knew that the day he was to leave was the day that the scientists and officers higher up the ladder were supposed to see the system in action, and of course, he also knew that he would have to perform in front of the other scientists before departing.

Essentially (Phantoms Cloak) was a highly complex and advanced combination of Active Cloaking, Thermal Camouflage and stealth technology that when activated, it not only concealed the IS completely from human sight, but it was able to even avoid being detected by advanced radar, IR thermal sensors and even Sonar waves. There was literally no way of a target spotting the IS until it was right next to It.

He wasn't to sure on this idea, but he wasn't in a position to object against it anyway.

As was scheduled, he remained on duty and showed off the true potential of the [Phantoms Cloak], amazing the scientists as well as the other pilots as he quickly dispatched multiple IS units without taking any damage or any of them being able to spot him, and for that 'performance', he had to pretend that he was a girl, meaning that he embarrassingly had to have a specially made external plate added to his chest to fool them into thinking he had a woman's chest, which somehow made him look like an actual girl. But thankfully the full body armour design meant he didn't have to wear make up or a wig, which must have thanked God a thousand times for.

But right after the performance, things began to turn South pretty Fast.

First, he was almost caught changing into his casual clothes, of which he'd been gifted several by his fellow pilots and even Sabrina.

Next, as he was leaving the changing room, several officers had been passing by the doorway and he'd had to dive back into the room to avoid detection.

And then, just as he thought he was safe, one of the veteran pilots who'd trained in another area- probably the main HQ- had challenged him to a duel, identifying him only by his hair and not noticing that he was indeed a male.

Of course, he had chosen to ignore her and quickly walked away, but the girl would not be so easily fazed. She came straight at him and grabbed his shoulder, turning him around and getting a good look of his face before he instinctively placed her in an arm lock, releasing her after he'd put on enough pain to instantly escaping.

And it wasn't long before every single personal in the base looking for him.

News of a 'male pilot' had quickly spread amongst the ranks after the female pilot had recovered and retreated, and he was essentially a priority target inside the compound at that moment.

It was only thanks to the timely actions of Sabrina and his fellow pilots that he managed to escape and take the bus to the airport safely, leaving no traces of him ever existing in that compound.

* * *

"So you ended up getting busted as well." Ichika chuckles, and Jackson smirks himself at this.

"Yeah... but then again a secret like ours is hard to keep these days." He said patting him on the shoulder.

"I see..." Cecilia said quietly. "So... that's how he disappeared." she said internally after she had found out about (Phantoms Cloak).

"Ahh... so that's how he cut through my weapon..." Rin softly muttered, a look of understanding gracing her child-like face after leaning of the HF Blade.

"Hmmm, it seems like your stealth skills still need some work in my case." Laura said, being correcting as ever, but just gains a laugh from Jake.

"Even the best get caught sometimes." He said looking down at the platinum haired girl with a smile. This however fails to change the expression the rest of the group have known as her usual look.

"So what happened after getting out of that place?" Asked houki.

Jake was about to continue, when his watch suddenly beeps, he looks down and sees the time that telling his story had brought them to. Knowing that the girls would want to hear the rest, he quickly edits his thoughts down a bit.

"I think I'll skip to the main event, I don't think I've got the time to explain the near two years of training I had to do in the middle of a dessert, as well as being transferred again for special combat."

"Main event?" This time it was Charlotte.

"After I had reached the end of my twenty two month training course, the day finally came when I was to face this... Final Task, that Maverick told me about when I first met him." Jackson paused for a moment as he thought back on that day, looking down at the table as he did so. A nervous expression clearly seen on his face.

"I'd come a long way from when I first got involved with the IS Project, grown a lot tougher and more skilled than I thought I would achieve... But even then... I wasn't expecting them to send me against, her."

"Her?" Said a rather confused Ichika. "Who's, her."

Jackson looks back up at the group, their eyes fixated on him, urging him to continue.

"Lola Russell, aka (Stinger). Today she's the second in command of I-S-X-C-S, the elite IS Squadron that's lead by me, and the only other American in the team as well. But back then, she was renowned by everyone else as one of Compound (Scythe and Shields) most skilled, most powerful and probably most badass pilots ever seen."

Cecilia has a think about what he had just said.

"It sounds like this Lola you speak of seemed to be the Alpha." She said, and Jackson nods in confirmation at her, an expression on his face shows the group that even he wasn't even thinking of underestimating the girl he was talking about.

"Oh believe me... She was. I mean don't get me wrong, the rest of FEISAR'S Elite pilots were tough as nails, but Lola..." Jackson pauses, rubbing the back of his head as he remembered the first time he saw Lola after he transferred. He could tell that regardless of how strong he was, watching that girl as she decimated the drones used for her daily practice routine was clear proof that she was a whole new level of skill and power compared to him back then. However he quickly snapped out of his daydreaming when he noticed he was spacing out again.

"She was in a League of her own. very few pilots who challenged her had managed to get back into an IS for nearly a week. She was fast, strong and had levels of skill and precision that made me question my own."

Ichika's eyes widened a little as he listened to Jake, only able to imagine what kind of girl could be able to even make someone like him think twice about his own skill. And in honesty, even some of the girls were a little shocked to hear things like that from Jake, even after he showed his own skill earlier today.

Then Rin speaks up.

"Lemme take a wild guess... The only way you were gonna get accepted into FEISAR..."

"Was to beat her." Jackson said, finishing her sentence. "And let me tell you all something. If there's one thing that hasn't changed in Lola from back then to now... Is that she is a force to be reckoned with."

* * *

"Five minutes Jake, then it's show time." Was the sound of Mavericks voice that rang out from the megaphones that were in the locker room of Compound (Scythe and Shields) main combat training arena. Jackson stands underneath one of the few lights that was on at the time, looking at his reflection in the mirror of the locker he'd been assigned to after transferring. A loud rumble echoed through the air, making his skin twitch as he sighed excessively.

"Looks like the storms brewing up even more." He muttered to himself. It was currently 23:26 at night and the entire base as well as a few high ranking officials and VIP's from various other compounds ran by FEISAR had gathered here tonight to witness Jackson, for after nearly two years the time had come where he would show the company whether or not he was worthy of joining them. And if that wasn't pressuring enough for him, he'd also been informed that Sabrina was among those who were invited to this event. This would make it the first time in nearly two years that they would meet again, that she would really see what she had worked to achieve with him... Everything that they had done to build (Storm Ghost) into the machine it was today would be put to its limits tonight, and that the entire fate of the future that he wishes to have involving the IS... Was left to the final outcome of tonight's event. And for the first time ever, doubtful thoughts began to creep into his head when he began to contemplate of the fact that his opponent was Lola Russell, who was Without a doubt one of the strongest members within FEISAR'S devision of elite pilots. He looks at the reflection of himself in the mirror and notices how obvious his nervousness was affecting him, and shakes his head violently to shake out the worrying thoughts tonight was causing him.

"Get a grip of yourself man... You didn't come this far to cower away." He said to himself, placing both hands on the locker, Jackson leans toward his reflection as he thinks back on all the things he's gone through to make it to where he was now. His expression turning to a more serious train of thought.

"You've gone through more dirt and mud in two years, than most spec ops soldiers have gone through in ten. You've pushed yourself to your limit this entire time... But now it's time to push harder." Jackson could start to feel his own words of encouragement beginning to sink into his skin as he speaks to his reflection, like a UFC coach giving a speech of faith and belief to his battered and bruised fighter, psyching him up for that final battle that would ultimately make or break his future. He feels the heat of his blood starting to pump through his veins, and Jake straightened back up from leaning against the locker and points at his reflection.

"She won't stop you... You ain't a coward... You ain't afraid of anything that's about to happen in that arena tonight, you know why... Because you're a Jackson, you're no weakling, you have a legacy to carry. You can take everything she throws at you and get back up. You alone are your worst opponent, not her or no one else, and tonight your gonna prove that your the toughest damn pilot that she will ever face in that arena."

Jackson began to move, practicing several of his fighting techniques as he extinguishes his nervous feeling. One, two, one two three four! he yelled in his mind, his body moving in rhythm to his thoughts as he punched and kicked the air. He then switched to his swordsmanship stance and pretending to slash his way through his opponent, his mind set becomes engulfed in the fire within him, warming up his muscles and completely dissipating his nervousness through his actions.

Just then, he heard the depressurisation of the locker room door opening as two of FEISAR'S standard class pilots enter the room to find him.

"Show time kid." Said one of the women as she gestured Jake in the direction of the hanger that (Storm Ghost) was stationed in.

"I don't mean to pressure you, but I hope you're ready for this. Lola seems to be pretty Psyched for tonight." The other girl said as she folded her arms, but to the two of the girls surprise. Jackson just laughed brightly as he rolls his head, loosening off every last muscle in his body as he looked at the two pilots with an eager smirk on his face.

"Good... That makes both of us then." He said as he makes his way past them and heads towards the hanger. Both pilots quickly chasing after him. "Let's get this fight running."

As Jake made his way to the Arena hanger. Back in the locker room, the faint, soft toned giggle of a young girls voice echoes throughout the room. It had become unannounced to Jake that during his little speech of self enlightenment, he was being watched. Lying on top of one of the rows of lockers in the shadows of an unlit part of the room was a young girl with light blonde hair which was done up in two long twin tails.

"Your heart and will is strong my friend." She said through a beaming smile, playfully running a finger across the skin of her leg before she hops off the lockers she was lying on and opens up the one that belonged to her.

Her name was Freya Sworkofski, the Swiss member of FEISAR'S elite IS pilots division. Lately she had been asleep for the day, but upon waking up prior to watching one of her fellow comrades fighting tonight, she had spotted Jake entering the locker room quite early for the fight and had been eavesdropping on him before changing out of her black and red nightgown to head for the arena... But not out of bad intention. Out of the four elite pilots in FEISAR, Freya had actually grown to taking a liking for Jackson as a person as well as a skilled pilot, and couldn't help but watch him every now and again as he progressed through his training. And even Jake himself had come to find the time to bond with Freya as well, and whenever he had some spare time between training sessions he would go see her when she wasn't on a job and just hang out, the two of them would play cards, talk about old movies, crack jokes with each other and just learn to get along. And although the rest of the division didn't quite fully agree with Jackson yet, Freya was happy to call him a friend. She smiles at the thought of the all fun she had getting to know the young Texan as she finished changing into something more casual for heading to the arena. And as she is about to leave the locker room, she turns to look at Jackson's locker and smiles.

"Good luck, JJ." She said before finally departing to meet up with the others at the area.

Meanwhile at the Compound arena, Jackson was undertaking the final preparations before his match was to begin. He remained still in the cockpit of his IS as the team of mechanical and technical engineers ran their diagnostics on (Storm Ghosts) electrical systems and mechanics, and updated the electronic brain with the statistics of the opposition Jake was to face through wireless download. He watched as the flaps on his wings make slight movements of adjustment, his IS's semiautonomous A.I. Unit adjusting his controls based on the data it was receiving, using the latest weather updates it sets the level of power intensity from his thrusters and recalibrated his Hyper-Dynamic-Airbrake system for maximum speed and manoeuvrability in the environmental conditions outside the hanger. As well as all his flight controls, Jake looks at the interface in front of him and monitors the progress of the weapons system checks that the A.I. was undergoing, testing the launch mechanisms for each and every one of his weapons as well as the current level of his IS pilot protection shield, HF blade energy gauge. A few moments later a green screen pops up on Jakes interface.

"Pre-Match preparation protocols complete... all systems nominal." Went the voice of the A.I. reporting the current status of the IS.

"You're good to go now, kid." Said the chief mechanic as the rest of her crew backs away from the IS to allow him his take off run. Jake nods at her and sets his sight on the hanger door that was still shut in front of him, as he did so the chief mechanic presses her finger against the side of her head to talk into her head set.

"This is Naomi, yeah it's done... (Storm Ghost) is a go, repeat (Storm Ghost) is a go. Open the hanger." She said into her microphone as she contacted the arena control tower to inform them Jake was ready. Seconds later the sound of mechanical movement filled the room Jake was in as he watches the entire wall that was fifty metres in front of him start to rise, then a strong gust of wind races in, the bright flash of lightning and loud boom of thunder is slowly revealed as the door open. Jake looks at what he can see of the massive rain storm that was hammering the base at this point of time, but he was unhindered by the weather, he was in his zone, his calm, that space in his head where all was set one thing... winning this fight.

"Hey, Jake." he heard the sound of Naomi's voice outside the cloud of determination enveloping his mind and turns to see her and the entire IS maintenance crew looking at him with smiles on their faces as Naomi gives him a thumbs up.

"Give Stinger one hell of a fight."

Jake smiles back her and nods, his determination spurred even further by his supporters.

"You better believe I will."

Without a seconds hesitation Jake ignites his thrusters and the Gunmetal IS rockets down the runway strip, reaching a blistering speed before flying out the hanger entrance. The strong winds from the storm hit instantly but the (Storm Ghost) was completely unaffected by the weather and maintained a steady flight path as Jake climbs to the set altitude and position he was to wait in before the match starts. Looking around Jake sees the entirety of the bases personal, at least a couple of thousand of them all watching from the arena stalls and when he looks to the main observation post where Maverick was most likely to be, he could see that Sabrina herself was there as well with her fellow scientists that worked on (Storm Ghost) when he was in Texas... All of which were watching intently, eager to see their work and efforts take on its final trial. The rain pours down in the black of the nights storm and the only thing helping everyone see Jackson was the fact that a series of high powered spotlights on the rooftop of the arena were activated to light up as much space as possible. However they unfortunately lacked the vertical depression to light up any on the arena from underneath the height of twenty meters, leaving everything at the altitude in what looked like a pitch black abyss.

Then Jacksons hyper-sensors kick in as another IS is picked up on radar, turning his head he's met by a Matte Black and grey IS unit hovering at the other side of the arena, those tell tale wings that represented the shape of a butterflies wings... Armed with six Browning 50-Caliber heavy machine guns and two 45 millimetre cannons indicated that this IS belonged to one person.

"Russell." He muttered under his breath as he stares at his opponent.

"Nice of you to show up, Jackson." The young girl relies over the radio to him, her tone already carrying a sense of self confident triumph as if she was expecting Jake to have bailed out on this.

"It's gonna take a hell of a lot more than you to scare me off." Jackson retorts, but Lola just laughed at his remark.

"Don't flatter yourself, this is as far as you're going tonight... Unless you really think you'll win this fight."

"It sounds like you're being a little too self righteous to me." Jake chuckles out, folding his arms as Lola furrowed her brow at him. Clearly annoyed by that.

"Watch your mouth cowboy or I might have to consider pounding you into the ground. And I'd hate for this little trip of yours to end so violently." Lola said pretending to sound sympathetic for Jackson, but his expression of determination remains glued to his face.

No... this isn't the end of it.

This will be the beginning.

"You don't threaten me, nor do you intimidate me.. I have my reasons to win and with that, you won't be the end of this trip. So how bout you shut up and hit me with your best shot."

Lola's eyes widened in slight shock of how blunt Jackson was being towards her, but her expression quickly sobers up into one of sarcasm and cockiness.

"Hmm. It seems running that mouth of yours is making you a little self righteous yourself... But if it's my best shot you want." Saying this Lola reaches behind her and brings out IS (Black Wasps) primary melee weapon. Her weapon of choice for close range was a modern day variant of the traditional Chinese Fangtian-Ji, which was a twelve foot long spear with a dual sided two foot serrated blade at the end of the spear with two crescent shaped blades on either side as well and a smooth spike at the other end of the spear. A crooked grin spreads across her face as she revealed the weapon to Jackson, chuckling out.

"Then I'm more than happy to oblige."

She twists and swings the spear in an impressive display of martial arts, showboating the fact that she was no stranger to mastering how to use the Fangtian-Ji before she positions herself in an aggressive stance, ready to charge at Jake the second the match starts. Jackson keepers his cool headed expression and reached behind him, drawing his HF Blade he swings it in his own like display of swordsmanship skill before taking an offensive stance as well to signal that he was ready to fight.

In the thick of the storm that hammered down on the two machines, all eyes locked onto them as the countdown begins.

FIVE!

This was it.

FOUR!

Months of research... Years of training.

THREE!

It has all come down to this.

TWO!

Everything changes tonight.

ONE!

Tonight...

BEGIN!

Jackson engaged his face armour as the air horn which signalled the match rang out. And without even a second of hesitation both (Storm Ghost) and (Black Wasp) charge towards each other at blistering speed, their pilots shouting out at top of their lungs as the gap between them rapidly closes down.

I'M GONNA GIVE YOU A REAL FUCKING FIGHT, LOLA!


	8. Heavy Metal at High Velocity

**Heavy Metal at High Velocity**

 **Tip: Try to imagine the fight happening to: Lie to the Unseen/Metal instrumental**

* * *

Lola quickly spins her body and brings the bladed side of her Fangtian-Ji round with great force to strike at Jake as the two of them viciously charged straight at each other, but her attack was countered as Jackson spins in the other direction and strikes with his sword. Sparks fly in all directions as the two weapons collided, the brutal force of both attacks throw them off balance and shoot past each other but quickly regain control and rocket themselves at their opponent again. From the spectator stands, the other pilots and base personal watch the fight as it began to unfold, their eyes locked onto the two IS as they become entangled in an impressive display of martial arts, with Lola twisting and spinning her spear to block Jacksons sword as he pushes forward with an impressive show of swordsmanship skills of his own. After blocking another one of his strikes, Lola drives her Fangtian-Ji towards Jackson's chest but he blocks her by using his blade to catch one of the crescent edges of her weapon, but she quickly uses her thrusters to try and push against him. Jackson began to feel his arms strain against the force of Lola's strength and instinctively counter acts by using his own thrusters to throw his IS into a forward roll, forcing Lola lunge forward as her balance is disrupted again, and Jake takes this advantage to bring his sword down in a powerful downward vertical strike as he rolls back round again, but it seemed Lola was ready for that and darts underneath him to avoid his attack.

"Damnit!" He muttered as he quickly turns round to get her back in his sight. Jake sees that Lola had used the momentum of her dodge to put some distance between them and was now sweeping round for what he assumed was another charging attack, so he changed tactics and as soon as Lola started flying towards him again he fires two of his (Dragon Tongue) rockets at her. Lola just smirks at his move and suddenly the six 50 Calibre machine guns in her wings fire, hitting Jakes rockets and caused them to detonate into a ball of flames which obstructed his view of her. Jake brings his arms up to shield his eyes from the bright flash of the explosions, but then realises that he'd made a mistake as he just managed to see Lola racing through the flames towards him with another spinning strike.

"Nice try Rookie." Cackles as she closed in on her target.

"Oh shit!" Jake said as he lunges hard right. Miraculously thanks to his razor edged reaction time he was able escape being hit by Lola's attack, and sees that she was clearly frustrated by her near miss. One the other hand people in the crowd were showing expressions of impressment towards the fact Jake had dodged what seemed like a sure hit.

"Kids got some speed." One girl mentions to several others beside her.

"Yeah... And he seems to be holding out against Lola pretty well." Said another. Discussions as such began to spread throughout the group, and even a few girls who were originally expecting Lola to beat Jackson had started to become optimistic about that, considering that Jake hasn't even taken a single hit yet. Their thoughts however were shortly cut off when Synatra (One of FEISARS Elite pilots), who had overheard the conversation began to laugh sarcastically at the group.

"Don't be so naive." She said to the other pilots through a crooked smile of hers. "That rookie has been nothing but lucky this whole time... Someone like him has no chance in brining down Lola."

She turns her attention back to the fight between the two IS's battling it out in the storm, leaving the other girls with a faint slither of doubt in their minds. However out of the ones that had heard her opinion on the situation, Freya seemed to be pretty confident on an opinion of her own.

"We'll just see about that." she muttered softly, so softly that her fellow pilots didn't hear her, but even if they did it was unlikely that they'd pay any attention. They were all completely locked onto watching Jake and Lola as they fought it out.

After dodging another one of her attacks, Jake pulls away and tries to put some distance between them to use his mid-ranged weapons, but Lola refused to let him get away and quickly gives chase.

"No point running from me little boy." She chided mockingly whilst sticking to Jakes tail as he loops and twist thought the sky in an attempt to shake her off, but was clearly failing to do so as Lola trains her gunsights onto him. A rain of bullets and shells pour from her wings, forcing Jackson to take even more drastic movements to avoid being shot down. He loops round and with only a few feet between him and the spectator barrier he shoots past the spectator stands causing Lola's fire to ripple against the energy shield that protected the crowd, most of them either covering their ears from the ear shredding sound of Jakes thrusters as he roars by at close range, or duck from being startled by the shells from Lola's guns smashing into the shield.

Pulling away from the stands Jake makes a quick decision and believed that the only way to shake Lola off was to take a risk, and with that in mind he dives into blackness of the unlit area near the arena floor. Lola stays in the light and uses her hyper-sensors to keep him locked in her sights, training her guns down on where he was flying she gets ready to pour the lead down on him again... But then something unexpected happened.

As Lola fires her weapons, deep in the cover of the shadows, Jackson activates his Hyper-Dynamic-Airbrakes, combining them with his immensely powerful thrusters his IS suddenly loses speed and the fifty calibre shells fired by Lola pass by him as he pulls a high-G force turn, pulling up he flies back out from the darkness... and heading straight for Lola. His sudden counter manoeuvre completely takes her by surprise and without any time to get her gun sights on the fast approaching IS Lola tries to pull up to get out of the way, but Jake charges straight for her and swings his sword with great force. The blade strikes a clean hit on Lola's hip armour, the shock caused from the hit rattled her body and depleted a reasonable chunk of her shield.

 _First blood to Jackson_.

Everyone was watching open-mouthed at the skill Jake had just displayed, unable to believe that he was able to hit Lola first.

Clearly angered by the mockery that he was causing for her, she bolts in releases a furious barrage of strikes against him with her Fangtian-Ji, her strength seemingly increased by her determination to knock the Gunmetal IS out of the sky. Jake parries her attacks and throws back strikes of his own as the two of them slug it out to the bitter end. He catches one of her swings with the dull edge of his sword and the two IS's are locked together, Lola glares at Jake through his face armour, their heads only a few feet away from each other.

"You're not going to take me down without a fight." He grunts whilst pushing against her weapon with his, and at that moment... A crooked smirk forms on Lola's face. Sending an unwanted chill down his spine.

"Then I'll give you a Slaughter."

Lola twisted her body with a tremendous amount of force and threw Jake out of the lock, causing him to lose his balance as his IS shudders back. Then Lola swings again with another attack which was just too fast for him to react and she scores a hit on Jakes left arm... And knocks his sword out of his hand.

"Oh shit!" He said as he turns to try and fly after his weapon before it fell into the black abyss beneath him. But just as he reaches out to grab it, Lola's spear passes his hip and she jams it between his arm and lower wing, forcing him to roll uncontrollably and miss, Jackson watches as his sword vanished in the darkness.

"This girls starting to tick me off..." He muttered under his breath and in retaliation he grabbed the end of Lola's weapon which was sticking out in front of him and twists frantically, causing both IS's to face one another again. Jake plants a foot to Lola's stomach and deals a small amount of damage to her shield as he forces himself away from her and gets ready to fire two of his E13 E.M.G's in an attempt to immobilise her. Lola however had other plans and charges unexpectedly at Jake, gripping him by the shoulders she forces him back at high speed and before Jake had any time to process what happened, Lola smashes him into the energy barrier right in front of the stalls where the rest of her fellow Elite pilots were sitting, and most of the girls around them had jumped out of their seat from the shock they received from thinking that the two IS's would've gone through the shield. The force of the impact had caused Jakes E.M.G launchers to miss fire and they passed harmlessly by Lola and detonated way out of effective range, as well as shave off another chuck of his shield energy. He tried to get up but Lola straddles his waist, using her thrusters she pushes him back up against the barrier again and pins him down. Inside (Storm Ghost) Jake looks up to see that same crooked grin on Lola's face as she rolls her head, cracking the joints in her neck before pulling her fist back.

"Not so tough now are you." She chided as she drives her knuckles into Jacksons chest armour, then another punch to his lower jaw. Jackson raises his arms to defend himself against her brutal bombardment, taking a chance he blocks one punch with his forearm and strikes back, digging his knuckles into Lola's stomach, but it wasn't enough to force her away and she grabs his wrists in response, pulling his arms to the side, Lola opens up with her six fifty calibre machine guns at point blank range, Jakes body is rattled violently as the bullets bounce off his IS, feeling in intense force of each and every one of them as they hit, his interface beginning to start flashing with warnings of his shield starting to drain rapidly.

"Come on Jake... I thought you were a better fighter than this." Lola cackles as she stops firing her guns and starts pile driving her fists into Jackson again, refusing to let back as she lands a strong hit right flat into his face armour, causing Jakes head to hit the front of his armour, and an intense burning swept across his face, sure that he could feel blood begin to gush from his nose. Behind him in the stalls several girls began cheering Lola on as she pounded into her opponent with no mercy, clapping their hands and jeering to finish him, whilst others were holding their hands to their mouth with a slightly worried expression on their faces, wondering how much longer Jake was able to hold in there, some even getting so worked up from it that they jumped from their seats and shouted for Jake to get up and fight back.

After almost a full minute of this brutal onslaught Lola finally stopped her assault on Jake and looks down at the IS beneath her that now remained motionless. She gives a triumphant laugh as she feels that her work was done and grins at Jake.

"Some Rank-S Pilot you turned out to be." She chides mockingly to the boy below her, then she looks at the crowd on the other side of the barrier and sees Synatra smiling back at her.

"Better finish the job Lola." She said, encouraging her her friend to dish out more pain on Jake. Lola grins and raised her fist for one last hit, only this time... Spectators were shocked to see that she deploys one of her shield piercers hidden within her gauntlets, most of them unable to think that what was left of Jacksons shield energy was going to hold back against that hit. And the majority of the crowd covered their eyes when Lola drives her weapon towards Jacksons head.

The sound of steel hitting steel echoes through the air.

A few seconds of silence drift by as those who'd covered their eyes refuse to look at what sight they would uncover... then they realised that the announcement that would end the match wasn't going off. Curious as to why, one by one they began to look and suddenly gasped in disbelief, even both Lola and Synatra were sharing the same expression.

It seemed that at the last possible second, Jake raised his hand and caught Lola's fist, the end of her shield pierce only a few inches from his armour.

"What! How?" She stuttered, feeling as if she had just punched a brick wall she tried pushing her arm forward but Jakes grip was iron like, and to her surprise he began to laugh to himself in a low tone.

"You think it's over... don't make me laugh." Comes an amused chuckle from within the silver IS. Lola quickly deployed her other shield pierce and tries hitting him again... but just like the first time Jake catches her fist with his with ease. Lola tries to pull back but he refuses to let her go.

"I'm just getting warmed up." Jake said, and without any warning he twists Lola's arm to lock her joints causing her to cry out from the pain of his vice like grip. The crowd are stunned as they watch the tables of this fight begin to slowly turn, amazed that Jake is still in this. He pushes himself back up while keeping Lola subdued by his lock until he was standing above her, her IS only inches from the edge of arena ledge they've been on.

"And now that play times over... Let me show you a real hit." Saying this Jakes wings begin to twist round until all twelve of his thrusters were pointing at Lola's IS... The sound of them whirling up ringing in her ears.

Fractions of a second later, Lola's eyes widened in shock, as she realises what was about to happen, and before she any time to even think about breaking free from Jacksons grasp he executed what he personally called a (Jet Punch). By focusing all twelve of his Turgon thrusters on the IS in front of him he releases a sudden burst of maximum output, creating a blast wave so immense that Lola is ripped from his grip and is sent flying down into the darkness of the unlit area of the arena, then all that was heard was the sound of (Black Wasp) smashing into the ground whilst leaving a long trail of dust to rise from shadows bellow to show the crowd just how far Jake sent her.

The pilots standing behind Jackson were gobsmacked by the move they just witnessed, as no one, not even FEISAR'S Elite pilots had seen a technique like that before. Jakes wings rotated back round to normal and he looks down to where he assumes that Lola had landed.

"How's that for a punch, huh." He calls out, and a few seconds afterwards his hyper-sensors pick up Lola's movement again. She flies out of the darkness and remains at a hovering distance of about a hundred meters away from Jackson, he face burning up in anger as well as showing a clear expression of rage.

"YOU BASTARD! You'll pay for that!" She shouted from across the field. Then looks at her interface and saw that she'd been dealt substantial blow... That one (Jet Punch) from Jackson had completely wiped out more than half her shields energy level, and looking down at her IS she could see that his arm lock had also damaged her shield piercers recoil mechanism, meaning that she was unable to deploy them again. Spurred by her anger Lola glares at her opponent, who was at his point was still hovering near the edge of the arena, pulling her Fangtian-Ji out again she grips the centre handle of it with both hands.

For she still had one trick up her sleeve... Her IS's Third Generation special ability (Burning Wings).

"You think I'm going to let you make a fool out of me like this." She said through gritted teeth, and within seconds the edges of her wings begin to glow a deep shade of red. She then twists the handle of her spear and the blades at the end split in two, releasing a beam of plasma which extended the length of them. The same red plasma bursts from her wings to cover every angle with the ability to cut through whatever they hit.  
Lola stances herself, ready to charge at Jake with everything she had.

"This ends now!" She shouts and instinctively after those words, She ignited her ignition boost and bears in in Jake at high speed. "NOW DIEEEEE."

Jake charges at Lola as well at an equal speed, the two IS's closing in on each other for what could look like the final stage of this fight.

But what happened next... no one was expecting.

With the last second before Lola was about use the plasma blades on her wings to cut Jake to shreds, a blinding flash of lightning lit up the entire arena, and with that flash... Jakes IS suddenly vanished from right in front of her. Lola stops herself and looks around, both her and the entire occupants of the arena were in complete disbelief about how Jackson had suddenly just disappeared.

"What the fuck... How?" She stutters before checking every vector as well as her hyper-sensors for any sign of her rival... but they were completely dead, there was no signal of him anyway. The moments spent wondering where the (Storm Ghost) had gone sent an ever increasing chill down Lola's back, completely unable to pick up the IS that was most definitely looking at hers.

Her Hyper-sensors then kick in out of nowhere but before she any time to react, she hears the sound of thrusters being ignited from behind her. Turning her head she saw Jackson reappear from below after using the time of his distraction to retrieve his sword from the arena floor and was now closing in too quickly for Lola to react. Jackson swings his sword with great force, the edge of his blade glowing bright purple as he engages HF-Mode and the clash of metal on metal echoes through the air as he smashes the (Black Wasps) wing armour. Lola is sent flying out of control from Jakes hit, and before she had time to react after recovering from her destabilisation, Jackson charges in again and slashed into her without hesitation. Lola twists and turns her spear in her best efforts to block Jakes sword as it comes in from all possible angles, but after the twelfth hit, she made a fatal mistake. As Jakes sword hits her weapon again she drives her spear upward and forced Jakes hand up leaving him open for an attack, but as she moves to strike, Jake spun his blade in his hand instead of lashing out. The end of his blade hits Lola's spear a knocks her attack of course, and when she tries to bring her weapon back round Jackson spins his entire body around, bringing his sword up as he comes round and strikes the middle of Lola's Fangtian-Ji. The force of his High-Frequency blade cuts straight through her weapon and Lola can only watch as the two halfs of her Fangtian-Ji dissipated into light energy before disappearing completely. When she turns back to look at Jake, He hits her again with another (Jet Punch) from his upper wings, knocking her back, then six blue glowing spots appear on his wings and suddenly Jake releases a hail of Plasmatic energy shots at Lola. She flies away from him, twisting and turning as evasively as possible to avoid the stream of plasma shots, a trail of ground shaking explosions ripple through the air as they hit they hit the arena safety barrier. Looking back over her shoulder she sees Jake in hot pursuit of her and continuing to relentlessly unload a torrent of fire as they race through the sky at high velocity. Lola dives into the unlit area of the arena to try and make herself a harder target to hit, but Jake stays on her tail and the two IS's delved into the blackness. Those watching from the stalls could only see the trail of their thrusters drawing the lines of their flight path in the darkness and the occasional flash of fire from either Lola's machine guns or Jakes cannons which were soon followed by Plasmatic explosions.

Despite her best efforts to evade his fire, Jake soon finds his mark and scores some effective hits on Lola, her body shudders from the blast wave as three shots of plasma hit her back, depleting her shield even more. She makes a desperate attempt to escape and fire off her ignition boost again, flying out of the darkness she turns round and fires all her guns and cannons at Jake as he emerges into sight again. However, as he did so, he suddenly side shifts to dodge the bullets coming his way and without warning launches his Hell-Fire Missiles before activating (Phantoms Cloak) to vanish from sight again. With no time to fire at the incoming missiles Lola instinctively flies as fast as her IS could go, twisting and weaving in all directions to try and shake them off. She knew that her hyper-sensors would have no effect on tracking where Jake had gone and was hoping that her movements would at least make it hard enough for him to hit her that she would see him if he was to reappear again... But she ended up so focused of losing the two Hell-Fire's that were baring down on her that she didn't notice Jackson reappear from high above her. He observed her motions, calculating her path as he aims his lower wings for the kill shot.

"Time to end this." He said as he charges up his HF-Blade and his wings fired again. Down below Lola's Hyper-sensors kick in again to warn her of Jakes location, but when she looks back up, she realised that she was already too late. Jake had launched another two of his E.M.G's just in front of her, and with no way to dodge the incoming fire, they detonated and she flies straight into the pulse wave. Lola's body jolts as the electrical surge immobilised her IS, causing her to lose all control as she begins to plummet out of the sky.

As the girls in the Arena watched her fall with Jakes missiles still chasing her, a few of them suddenly jump from their seats and start running when they noticed what was unfolding in front of them.

"SHE'S HEADING STRAIGHT FOR US!" One girl screams, running out of the way.

"SHE'S GONNA GO RIGHT THROUGH THE BARRIER!" Another cries as she dived in the other direction.

"RUN FOR IT!" Was all that the rest of them said as they scatter from the crash zone. Lola tries desperately to regain control of her IS, but it was totally hopeless and she smashed into the energy barrier with so much force that cracks formed in it, then within a second,

BOOM!

Two explosions ripped through the air as Jakes missiles crash into her and engulfed the (Black Wasp) in a ball of fire. As the spectators watched in shock, they soon saw that the violence wasn't over yet as the see Jake charge towards the explosion at high speed, most of them thinking that he was nuts for doing so. Jackson drives his blade forwards with both hands, and as the silver IS flies into the fire ball, there was an all mighty crash and half the arena suddenly shakes as if an earthquake had just hit and knocks those who were standing to their knees, and after the flames dissipated, a towering pillar of smoke and dust rises from the landing zone.

Further away from the smoke the rest of the pilots, base personal and even FEISAR'S Elite Pilots stood wide eyed in disbelief as the reality of what just happened finally sunk in.

"HOLY HELL! They just broke through the safety barrier." One girl said in both shock and astonishment.

"That was brutal... I hope the others got out of the way." said another.

"LOLA!"

Suddenly some of the girls find themselves being pushed aside as the Elite pilots including Synatra started to run through the stalls to make a dash for the crash site, the condition of their fellow ace at the forefront of their minds.

As the smoke begins to clear Lola starts to come back around from her crash, coughing for breath she slowly opened her eyes to see that she was lying on her back in a crater that was formed when she hit the concrete seats to the spectator stalls. Looking around she sees the pilots and base personal standing at the edge of the crater, all looking down at her with the same relieved expression that she was okay on their faces... That's when she saw it... embedded into the concrete she sees the glowing razor sharp edge of Jacksons High-Frequency Blade.

And it was only a few mere inches from her neck.

After staring at the blades edge of a few seconds, she looks up and finally sees the silver IS kneeling above her, both hands still grasped tightly around the handle of its sword and looking straight back at her. Staring back at the sword again, It had come to her conclusion that this was a clear sign that had this hadn't have been a trial fight, had this had been a real fight in the field, and if it was against this opponent... Then that sword would have most likely gone straight through her. As she thought about that, A beeping sound flooded her ears and Lola's interface brings up a red screen reading.

(Shield Energy Depleted: Unprotected)

The siren rings out and the arena megaphone crackles out.

(Match Complete: Winner- Jake Jackson.)

As soon as she heard those words, a wave of pure disbelief washes over Lola as she comes to grips with what has happened.

"No way... He actually did it." She said internally. Most of the others around her thinking the same thing... Lola Russell, The Stinger, FEISAR'S top ace... had just been defeated by a male pilot.

The two IS units slowly turn to light as both pilots return their machines to standby mode, and when Jake drops down to the floor he nearly feels his legs collapse beneath him from exhaustion after putting almost all his effort into those last moments of the match. He feels his body ache from head to toe, more than sure he was gonna be seeing a lot of bruises covering him when he gets out of this IS piloting suit, and uses the back of his hand to wipe off the blood he could feel dripping from his nose. Standing in front of Lola he looks down to see her looking right back at him with a face that even he couldn't explain... like she was both shocked and amazed that she'd been beaten. Jake takes a step toward her and reaches his hand out, a smile gracing his tired face.

"You fought well." He said I a generous tone, respectively acknowledging his opponents efforts. Lola stares at his hand for a second, but sure enough a smile begins to form on her and she takes Jakes hand, pulling her up to her feet Lola placed her other hand on Jakes shoulder.

"So did you." She said kindly as she gives him a strong pat on the shoulder. "Well done Jake... You really earned this victory."

Just then Synatra and the rest of the Elite Pilots arrived at the scene, only to receive a shock when they saw the two pilots smiling at each other and shaking hands.

"Lola... you okay?" Synatra asks, and Lola just nods her head at her.

"Yeah... I'm a little bruised up, but I'm good."

After a few moments the medics arrived on station and although after saying she was fine, they insisted Lola to head to the infirmary for a checkup, leaving Jake to catch a breather before he was to head over there as well.

"JJ!" He hears as Freya runs up to him and embraced him in a tight hug... Something he clearly wasn't expecting given the look on his face.

"I knew you could do it, I just knew it." She said joyfully as she swings him from side to side, Looking up at him with an adorable little smile. Jake couldn't help but smile back at her, as one by one the girls around him began to clap and cheer in applause for him.

For he had done it... He had completed his final task.

But goddamn did it drain the energy out of him.

* * *

"So… well yeah, that's about the story of it. After beating Lola, Maverick officially enrolled me as an Elite pilot for FEISAR and declared (Storm Ghost) as my personal unit and had her custom painted to the colours you see her in now, ever since then I've worked there for just over a year before I was transferred here for ," Jackson said, finishing his summary of how he managed to activate an IS and receive his personal unit. Of course, despite saying all that, he was still wary of the girls who sat around him.

"So why were you transferred here?" Cecilia asks out of curiosity.

"I was sent here to both test some new equipment that was recently updated to my IS, as well as collect data on other Units to compare statistics with my squadrons Units for improvement purposes." Jake said, and the faces of the girls around him began to show an expression of understanding.

Even though every person on the table, Ichika included, had the same surprised look on their faces after hearing Jakes story.

"Anyway, that's all I've got…" Jake said. He looks at his watch to check the time and smiles at the others.

"Now then, I think I've spent enough of your time rambling on about my past. Sorry if it was a waste though." He said.

"No, you haven't wasted our time." This time it was Charlotte who spoke. "Thank you for sharing your past with us, I actually thought it was a rather interesting story."

Next was Laura.

"I agree, I found most of what you've said about your IS most intriguing... I have never heard of such a tactic like this _Jet Punch_ that you spoke of."

Then Rin.

"Yeah, and seeing that you're here for a similar reason as we are. It makes more sense to us now."

Jackson smiles at the girls, feeling much more reassured that he'd been able to shed some light for his friends.

"Thanks girls, I'm glad I was able to be some help. anyway I have some things I need to take care of so I'll let you lot enjoy the rest of your day."

After saying this Jackson takes his leaves and scoots his way past Laura and Houki to go take care of what he needed done for the day. But just as he was walking away he heard Houki call out his name again, surprised by that he turns round to see her get up from the table and walk up to him.

"Listen, Jackson... About earlier today when we were acting pretty defensive against you." She trails off and looks away from him for a second, looking somewhat nervous about what was going to say next.

"I just want to say on everyone's behalf... That we're sorry about that. Knowing that you were from a very different background compared with Ichika we weren't sure what to expect... so we..." Houki was then suddenly cut off when she felt Jake place a hand on her shoulder, and looks at the boy in front of her to see him smiling back.

"Don't worry about it Miss. Shinonono... It's all water under the bridge." Jake said through a reassuring smile as he gives Houki a gentle pat on the shoulder with his fingers before removing his hand from her and turns his attention to the rest of the girls who were still say at the table.

"I don't hold anything against any of you for being defensive around me... After all, FEISAR'S Elite pilots acted pretty much the same towards me when I first transferred there... So don't worry about it."

The girls looked at each other for a moment, all of them feeling rather surprised at how well mannered Jake was being to them... None the less Charlotte couldn't help but ask.

"Are really sure about it?"

"Not at all... In fact, I'm actually really glad I got to have this little ice breaker with you lot... It just means you'll be a little more comfortable with having me around." Jake said happily to them, before looking at his watch yet again to check the time. "Anyway, I'm off just now... Enjoy the rest of your day girls. And I'll see you later on Ichika."

Saying this Jake waves off his roommate, who returns the wave and he finally turns his attention to what he needed to do and walks out of the cafeteria, leaving Ichika and the girls to think about everything he's told them.

"I dear say, he's definitely a rather interesting character wouldn't you all agree." Cecilia said to the others, who all nodded in agreement.

Next was Rin.

"Yeah... And he's definitely not your typical freshman IS pilot."

"Agreed, and after listening to his story. I guess it's safe to say that he's not a threat in any way." Said Laura.

"And he seems to be a rather sweet young man, he's been rather generous with us since arriving... And Houki, thanks for apologising to him for all of us, that was really nice of you." Charlotte says to Houki, thanking her for doing so. Houki just looks over to the door that Jake had just walked of for a second before speaking up.

"Well... Considering that we were pretty forward with him for explanations and answers to why he was sent here... I just thought he kinda deserved one for being so generous to us."

Listening to his friends conversations around him, Ichika felt a wave of relief wash over him as the girls seemed to have finally come to better terms with his roommates arrival, and couldn't help but let out a little chuckle, pretty much instantly gaining their attention.

"Well now that all that hostility is over, let's all do our best to get along with each other... After all, JJ's gonna be with us for a while now." He said with a smile.

"Alright." The others said in unison. And as time slowly progressed, each of them began to part ways and undertake their own activities for the rest of the day.


	9. The Virtual Pilot

"Huh…" Jake sighed as he wandered around the campus, nonchalantly putting his arms behind his head as he did so. "What to do… what to do…"

He'd been walking about the place for the majority of the time after he'd finished with his voluntary training, which he'd participated in order to run a diagnostics test on his IS's systems without having to worry about being bothered by the other students. And when he was finished, instead of just heading to his dorm earlier than Ichika who was probably participating in one of the after school club activities with his friends, he found himself strolling around the campus, taking in its beautiful design and scenery.

"Man... This place is massive." He muttered to himself. He figured that doing this would help him get better orientated with the place and make it a bit easier for him, but now, after wandering around for so long he didn't know what to do. He was somewhat aware of the group of girls following not too far behind him but he didn't really pay much heed to them- Sarah had told him that they were mostly the students of class 2-1 and 2-2 who were very curious about him after hearing that the rumour of his practice match against Rin and Cecilia had spread a little throughout the academy.

"Huh… Oh, I nearly forgot."

As he kept on walking, the thought of something causes doubling back and running towards the school dormitories, circling around the shocked group of girls as he did so. He sprinted as fast as he could and weaved through the corridors until he reached his and Ichika's room and opened the door. Entering the room he saw that his roommate wasn't in yet, but that wasn't what he was here for. Closing the door behind him, Jake makes his over to the large case on the other side of his bed where all his hobby related stuff was being stored. Opening the case he picks up the clear plastic box that had the small semi-spheres inside of it, smiling as he did so.

"I gotta set you up as well."

* * *

Over at the arena changing rooms Ichika was just finished getting dressed after having another after school training session of his own with Houki and Charlotte. Getting up from the bench, a small groan coming from him as his body ached.

"Today's gonna leave a mark." He muttered to himself after feeling the potential bruises coming on. Today's session had been a pretty brutal one for some reason, and even though he knew that the others were prone to pushing him as far as they could, he wished they would go even just a teeny bit easier on him...

But there was no point in even wishing for that.

He knew that Charlotte had already left for her dorm and get ready for her next club activity. However he got a surprise when he saw that Houki was waiting for him when he walks out of the locker room.

"Oh... You not showering in your room Houki?" Asked Ichika. But the girl in front of him just stayed silent, arms folded and looking at him with a mixed expression of seriousnes... And worry.

"Can we talk for a minute." She said turning her head away from him. Ichika was a little surprised by why Houki was acting like she was worried about something, but when he asked her what the matter was, she just begun to to walk away and gestures him to follow her. For the next minute or so the two remain silent as they walked side by side each other, navigating their way through the corridors until they were outside the arena building and heading towards the dorms.

"Er Houki... Is there something that you wanted to say?" Ichika asks her again, and Houki looks back up at him.

"It's about Jackson." She said, sounding rather judgemental about the person she just mentioned.

"I thought you had cleared the hostility with him, like the others seem to have?" Ichika said in a questionable tone. He wasn't able to understand what kind of problem over Jake was so big to Houki that she had to talk to him privately about it. After they'd all listened to Jackson tell his story about how he got involved with the IS, he'd thought that things between him and the girls would start to even out, And Houki had even apologised to him on All their behalf for acting so forward with him about answers for why he was transferred. However, he couldn't help but feel curious about the subject as well, seeing that Houki doesn't usually pull him to one side like this unless something was really bothering her.

"I'd like to say we have, but..." Houki trails off and stops walking, causing Ichika to stop and look back her, noticing that she was holding her head down... Clearly deep in thought of something.

"There's just one thing I haven't been able to shake off my mind."

"What is it?

Houki lifts her head to look at Ichika.

"Look Ichika, I know you don't treat this as a big deal now, but I do... Ever since Jake said that his IS was related to the Gospel, it's had all of us on edge."

He could tell from her tone that she seemed to be pretty uncomfortable with the thought. Ichika speaks up.

"I'm sure it's nothing serious, after all Houki, remember that JJ looked pretty uncomfortable about speaking about the Gospel as well... Maybe he doesn't like it as well." He said to try and reassure his friend, but Houki just stares at him with a more serious expression than before... Ichika wasn't getting her point.

"No you idiot... That's not the case I'm worried about. Have you forgotten about what happened when we were sent to try and stop the Gospel the first time." Houki trails off for a moment and hugs her chest tightly, a slight shudder creeps over her body as she thought back on that fateful day when both she and Ichika failed to shoot down that rouge IS. Ichika notices she shudder and walks up to and placed a hand on her shoulder, causing her to look up and see him smile at her reassuringly.

"I remember what happened... But at the end of it we made it out alive, and we took down that thing as well... I also know still blame yourself for me getting hurt, and I don't want you to think like that Houki... It gets in the way of the friend I know so well." He said in that kind hearted tone he was know for speaking in. He knew that Houki blamed herself for the Gospel shooting him down all that time ago and the emotional pain it put her through as well as the others, so it was understandable for him to see them get so defensive toward Jake for accidentally bringing back the subject. But it was clearly worse on Houki and Ichika wanted to remind her not to feel ultimately responsible for the missions failure. After a moment of silence Houki finally manages to push her guilt aside again and gives Ichika a smile of her own.

"So what exactly is it about Jakes IS that's got you worried?" Ichika asks to bring them back on the subject of the matter, and Houki sobers up her thoughts to answer his question.

"I was worried that because that IS was the prototype for the Gospel, then maybe it was used to create another one after we destroyed the first... That's what all of us were worried about Ichika, that if a second and stronger Gospel was created. And that we had to take that one out if it was to go rouge like the other... That's why we got so forward with Jake, we wanted to know."

After hearing this, it all started to finally sink into Ichika's mind and an expression of realisation forms on his face.

"Oh... So that's why you guys were so defensive when he said that." He said, and Houki nods at him, but then looks down at the ground again.

"Yeah... But since I apologised to him about all of us acting the way we did... I feel that it would just be rude to bring the subject back up again." Saying this, Houki looks back up at him.

"That's why I asked if I could talk to you Ichika." She turns away for a second, feeling somewhat rather nervous about what she was wanting to say.

"Huh? What is it Houki?" Asked Ichika, completely unsure about what his friend was trying to imply. For a moment Houki just stands still and remains silent as she take her mind for the sentence she wanted to say, and after finding it she takes a short breath and speaks up.

"I wanted to know if you could do me and the others a favour and ask Jake that question yourself... But make it sound like it was you that wanted to know, so he doesn't think it's just me and the others wanting the answer. Then once he answers you it would really help put us at ease of we could hear what he said from you."

Upon hearing this Ichika stays quiet for a minute, feeling actually pretty surprised that Houki would ask such a question. Houki on the other hand however was quickly starting to feel like regretting asking that question.

"You idiot!" She says internally whilst doing her best to hide tat worried expression on her face. Her head spirals with the mixture of guilt from putting Ichika on the spot like this, and the selfishness from the fact that she didn't say that she actually hasn't told the others that she was asking this favour.

"That sounded so selfish, why did I say it like that? He's probably gonna think I'm just being rude to Jake again and say no. If he does then I might never recover from that... And then-"

"Sure, I can do that Houki."

She barely hears the sound of Ichika's voice outside the thick clouds enveloping her mind, and Houki suddenly snaps her eyes back to him in surprise.

"What!... I mean, really?" She stutters, trying to regain her focus. She completely shocked by how the boy in front of her didn't seem to sound bothered at all by doing her this favour. Ichika on the other hand was a little surprised himself by Houki's reaction, thinking that she was expecting him to say anything other than yes.

"Errr... Yeah, I don't mind doing that for you guys. I mean after all, it would be a little awkward if any of you lot were to ask him after today... And in honesty Houki." Ichika stopped for a second as he thinks about something that had just recently popped up in his own mind regarding his roommate, rubbing the back of his head as he did so.

Now Houki was becoming curious of what he was thinking herself.

"Now that you've put it that way... I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious myself about finding out that whether or not Jakes IS was used to create another Gospel."

"Really?" Said Houki, who was quite surprised herself that Ichika seemed to be curious about this whole thing as well. And after hearing that he didn't mind asking him, that wave of nervous guilt quickly washes away and she manages to find a small smile for him.

"Well... Thanks for the help Ichika." She says in gratitude. Ichika smiles back at his childhood friend.

"No problem... Though I have to be honest. Jake's pretty sharp minded, so it wouldn't shock me if he figures out that it was one of you guys that got me to ask him." He chuckles out brightly, and Houki just sighed quietly to herself a at that.

Wondering to herself whether or not that Ichika ever knows about his habit for throwing out curve balls like that.

"We'll sort that out when we get there... For now, let's just see if he'll answer you." Said Houki. Ichika nodded at her and then turns his attention to the time on his watch.

20:13pm

"Well... We'd best be heading in now Houki. It's more than likely that Jake has already retired back the dorms by now, so I'll talk to him when I get back." Said Ichika said as he gestures Houki to walk along with him back to the dorm as he figured it would be rude to just walk off and leave her to head back in her own. The two of them quietly make their way to the dorms, both saying little to each other and instead just enjoying the view of the many shades of orange that painted the skies as the sun started setting over the horizon. It calmly rinses away the tension of the previous conversation that they had regarding asking Jake about the Gospel, and soon Ichika and Houki parted ways to head to their dorms. Ichika reaches his room and opens the door.

"Hey JJ, I'm back... You here?" Said Ichika as he walks in.

"Yeah, I'm here." He hears from Jake and sees that he was sitting at his desk in front of his monitor system and typing something into it.

"You been here a while?" Ichika asks as he sits down at the end of his bed. Jake looks down at his watch to check the time since the time when he came back to the dorm, then shakes his head.

"Not really... maybe half an hour at the most." He said as he turns his head towards his roommate. That's when Ichika notices it. Jake was wearing a white medical eyepatch over his eye, which immediately raises a question in Ichika.

"Hey JJ... Where's your IS?" He asks out of curiosity, and is met by small smile from Jake.

"She's over hear." He replies and points to something next to him. Ichika's wonder over to where he was pointing and was a little surprised by what he saw. (Storm Ghost) was placed on top of a strange looking platform that was hooked up to Jackson's monitor system, and a faint white glow was emanating from the platform as small particles of light energy could be seen rising from around the IS and then dissipating after they reached about three feet. Ichika looks at the strange device Jakes IS was on, and in honesty, to him it looked more like one of those strange accessories that went on gaming consoles where players put figures of the game characters onto the platform to play, and then just swap them over to play as another character... However, that clearly wasn't the case regarding this device as he glances over to see that all six of Jackson's screens were lit up with whatever it was that thing was feeding into them.

"What is that Jake?"

"It's a portable IS data transaction module, specifically made for my IS."

"Data trans-what?" Ichika said, sounding a little confused by what he had just said. Jake smiles at him and decided to go into a little more detail on the subject.

"It's a specialised portable module that allows me to extract all data collected by (Storm Ghost) and feed it directly to my computers, meaning I can not only run basic system checks on my IS without needing to use one of those bulky conventional data scanners that's commonly used, I can also use it to compare data collected on other IS's with the data from both mine and my squadrons Units... All from the comfort of my room."

Ichika's eyes widened a little after Jackson's words sink in, then he looks at the platform again, unable to take in the fact that this thing (that was no less the size of a small dinner plate) was able to do all that. An IS data scanner was big enough to house an entire unit within itself, and now that he realised that he was staring at one that he barely even noticed in his own room, it just seemed to him that Jake was pulling one surprise out of his sleeve after another.

"that's pretty amazing JJ." He says in surprise. "So are you just sending the data you collected from fighting Rin and Cecilia just now?"

Jake nods at Ichika before turning his head back to the screens in front of him. "Well, all that I've been able gather just now... But one practice match isn't going to be enough for all the data I need to compare statistics with my squads units."

Saying this, he continued to type in the information he had acquired for today, filling in the necessary fields and files to finish his work for today as Ichika sat there on the end of his bed, just watching this focused state of work from his roommate. It was a rather interesting sight for Ichika as he observes Jackson, as he hadn't yet seen him working in a theoretical manner, sitting silently he watched as Jake continues typing at quite a rapid pace while keeping a vigilant eye on all six of his monitors which were filled with separate fields of information. Ichika was pretty impressed by his efforts, which to him were proving that Jake seemed to be quite experienced with using I.T equipment. However as he watches quietly, subconsciously Ichika was composing himself for something else that was on his mind... His question that he promised Houki he'd ask him, but it wasn't as easy as he thought it would be. He wasn't even sure about how to start it, and with Jake being busy on his system he wasn't able to bring up the subject just now anyway without the possible risk of raising his suspicion to why he was wanting to bring up that subject. And it wasn't like he could just cut straight to the chase about it, as he'd also seen this morning about how edgy Jackson was when talking about the Gospel incident, making it even more of a challenge to try and find out whether or not it was possible that his IS was possibly used to produce more of them. He sits in silence, still unable to think of a good idea, but when he looks back at Jake... Ichika notices that he's stopped typing and was now sitting back in his chair, looking quite surprised by something.

"Hmmm... That's pretty interesting." He mutters just loud enough to himself for Ichika to hear him, who was now rather curious himself to know what Jake had stumbled across.

"What is it JJ? I mean... If you don't mind me asking?" Asked Ichika, hoping he wasn't sounding too intrusive towards Jake, but with his head still locked onto his screens, Jake used his hand to summon him in a come hither motion, indicating Ichika to come have a look at what he was seeing.

"Come have a look at this Ichika" However, regardless of his invite, Ichika couldn't help but ask.

"You sure I'm allowed to look?" He said, and Jake turns his head to look at him, nodding at him.

"Yeah its okay. All files that contain any of my more... (sensitive data) is locked away in secure files, so it's fine for you to have a look at some of my work. After all... If I wasn't authorised to show any data with others at the academy, then I wouldn't have bothered setting up my system in the room." Jake said as he turns back to his screens. Ichika felt a little more reassured by what he'd said about looking at his work and gets up from his bed, walks over to Jake and leans over behind his chair to get a better look at the six screens in front of him. Their was a vast spread of data on the bottom middle and left screen that were condensed into an organised field of files and document's, on the bottom right screen was a media player system that was containing all the recorded data from Jakes practice match this morning as well as detail and high quality video footage of the fight from his point of view in his IS. Then Ichika looks up at the top right screen where Jake was looking as well, their the screen was filled with screenshots and video footage of Cecilia and her IS from multiple angles as well as shots of her either in defensive or offensive movements.

"Is that all the data collected on Cecilia?"

"Yep, and by studying it... This is what I've found." Said Jake as he starts typing on his keyboard again, and within just a few seconds all the pictures and videos of Cecilia move off the screen from all directions and a three dimensional model of her IS shows up onscreen with a statistics chart next to it showing all characteristics of the IS as well as a descriptive summary of her units nationality, weapons load out and role type. Ichika stand their almost wide eyed at all the data he was seeing about one of his friends IS's in front of him, all of it showing to be rather accurate as well.

"You gathered all this in a few minutes of fighting with her?"

"That's right... It's even surprised me Ichika, guess (Storm Ghost) is more observant than I thought."

"What do you mean?"

"You see Ichika... I'm only the pilot to (Storm Ghost), therefore it's my duty to focus on flying, fighting and that's it. In terms of data collection, that's all in the hands of her semi-autonomous artificial intelligence unit. It's tapped into my audio and video recording software inside the IS and analyses other Units that are caught by the cameras and performs multiple data analysis checks on my opponents weapons systems, thrusters, body design, pretty much everything it can recognise... At the end of it, the IS presents me with this highly accurate display of statistics from the Unit I was faced up against. And the more I fight this type of IS, the more accurate the data statistics will become until I find out exactly what limits it has."

"That's incredible." Ichika says before he finds himself standing in silence after hearing Jakes little lecture, amazed by this piece of advanced software that he was looking at, and how it was able tell him near enough just how tough his friends personal units were, after only facing up against Jake for a few minutes. It seemed his roommate was more technically experienced than he looked out to be, seeing that he didn't seem to be breaking a sweat when working on his computers.

 _Just what else is JJ good at?_

His thoughts however were cut off when hears Jake speak again.

"Indeed it is... But it seems (Storm Ghost) focused more on collecting data on (Blue Tears) as it seems that I didn't get much info on (Shenlong)... But that doesn't bother me that much as I have plenty of time here to collect all the data that I need for my squadron." Saying this Jackson starts clicking on the files regarding (Blue Tears) and condenses them into one larger file.

"Anyway... I think I've done enough work for today. Time to wind down." He sais with a smile, and with one last click from his mouse, the file wizzes off to the left and moves to the top left screen were all his primary work was stored. Ichika's eyes follow the file over to the screen, not really expecting to see much... However, that's when he noticed something. Stored on the screen were five separate files all tagged (I-S-X-C-S-001 all the way to 005) and he couldn't help but feel like he'd heard of that call sign before. He contemplates on the thought for a few moments... And within seconds, he was sure he felt his heart skip a beat when he remembers what Jackson referred the Gospel as.

 _I-S-X-C-S-006_

"No way... Does that mean... There's five of them!" He said in his head as not to alert Jake of his current worried expression. It was like what Houki had predicted was right, and looking at these file names only seemed to tell Ichika that this was the case... That Jakes IS _WAS_ used to create more variants of the Gospel. A chilling shiver runs down his spine as he thinks of what the girls reaction was going to be if this was true, and what kind of hostility it could cause between them and Jake again. And as much as he hated to admit it to himself... He knew he wasn't going to like talking about this with him, even though he promised Houki he would.

"Hey, Ich? You okay buddy?"

He faintly hears the sound of Jacksons voice outside the cloud of tension wrapping around his mind. snapping back to reality again, Ichika looks down to see that he had been so caught up in thinking about what those files stood for, that he didn't notice that Jake had turned around and noticed that worried expression that was plastered to his face. Instantly, Ichika knew he was caught out, and knew that Jake was aware that it was what he saw on that screen which put him in this state of worry. There was just no hiding it now, and although he wished he could say it was nothing, he was sure that Jackson would easily pick up that he was lying. With that at the forefront of his mind, he decides that he had no choice but to bite the bullet and just be upfront with him about what he was wanting to ask him, what both he and his friends were wanting to know once and for all.

He takes a deep breath and calms his nerves before he finally spoke to Jake again.

"I need to talk to you for a moment JJ, its pretty important."

After hearing that... Jake raises a brow at him.

"About what Ichika?" He asks.

Ichika steps away from the edge of Jakes seat in order for him to get up and he moves to sit on the side of his bed to face him, followed by Jake who sits on his bed to face him. Ichika rakes his thoughts to put together how he was going to brings this up, then cleared his throat before looking back at Jake.

"It's about the Gospel, Jake."

"Huh? You didn't seem to be too bothered about that before, what made you want to bring that thing up again?" Jake said, sounding rather confused. He knew from earlier experience that Ichika's friends seemed to be pretty edgy regarding that subject, but he was never a hundred percent sure as to why? However Ichika on the other hand didn't seem to react as drastically than they did, which only lead him into believing that his involvement with this whole thing wasn't really that significant. But it was soon made clear to Jake that this clearly was wrong, seeing that Ichika was now bringing this whole thing up again.

"I just think its fair that I tell you why the others acted the way they did JJ. And hopefully you could answer something that's had all of them pretty much on edge." Said Ichika. Upon hearing that, Jake folded his arms and looks at the boy sitting across from him, his ears wide open.

"Sure, Ich... I'm all ears to hear why they were a bit jumpy about hearing the word _Gospel._ But the only thing that bugs me... Is how did you guys even know its name in the first place?" He said in a questionable tone. Ichika's then suddenly perk up as well.

 _Did he just say he doesn't know how we found out about that IS,s name?_

The thought circulated through his mind for a few moments, and then another one pops up that makes Ichika realise something rather shocking to him.

 _If Jake doesn't know how we were informed about the Gospel... Then does he even know that we were the ones that shot it down?_

"Well, you see Jake..." Ichika rubs the back of his head, not to sure on how to put his thoughts into the words he needed to say. A brief moment of silence passes and then Ichika remembered the event leading up to how both him and Houki took their first swing at taking down that thing, and decided that starting from the very beginning of this whole subject was going to be the best way in making Jake understand. With that thought in mind, he starts explaining.

"We were all out of the Academy for our class beach trip... When Chifuyu was informed of some high class alert from out of nowhere, next thing I knew both me and my friends were called to assemble with her as she required our assistance with the issue. It was only then that we found out the reason we were all called together was to be informed that an unmanned IS unit called the Gospel had gone rouge and was heading on a route that would soon lead it past our location. And because we were either representative contenders or pilots with our own personal units, we were..."

Suddenly, Jakes eyes shot wide open as if he'd seen a ghost. Upon listening to Ichika explain his part to the story, he had been trying to piece everything together himself, but when he heard that Ichika and his friends were assembled together to be informed that the Gospel was going to be passing by them soon... To him... That could only lead to one thing... But the thought of it was simply too mindboggling for him to even think as logical.

 _No way, he can't possibly mean that..._

"Whoa, Whoa, Whoa hold on a second..." He quickly said, cutting off his roommate from speaking. The sudden change in Jakes mood totally takes Ichika by surprise, he wasn't sure why he was getting this surprised at... But when he looks at Jake again, slowly shaking his head from left to right as if he was having a hard time believing what was in his head, Ichika soon finds out what was bugging his roommate.

"Ich... Don't tell me that they sent you guys to take that thing out, did they?"

There was a moment of total silence between the two boys, as Ichika looks at Jackson, who in turn was staring straight back at him with a mixed expression of both curiosity, and pure disbelief. It was now clear to Ichika that Jake was indeed completely unaware that it was him and his friends that had taken that out of control IS down, but in his mind, he was trying to figure out why he didn't know? He knew the Gospel had gone rouge, and he also knew that it had been dealt with... So how is it that he doesn't know how or who it was that took it down. The thought swirls through his head for a few seconds before he realises that he hadn't answered Jakes question. Looking right at him Ichika just silently nodded at him, and almost instantly afterwards Jakes eyes widen in shock.

"What! But... How?" He manages to stutter out.

"We intercepted it when it was in a vulnerable state... But why are you finding that hard to believe Jake?" Asked Ichika.

"Ichika... The Gospel was a late model Third Generation type IS that was specially built to wipe out multiple targets at any range of attack. It was also made using technology and AI systems that were inspired by Storm Ghosts... This was not your typical IS unit. That thing was more than capable of destroying pretty much anything that it faced. When we were informed that the machine had gone rouge during one of its trial phases, FEISAR reacted immediately and requested that a strike force lead by one of their ace pilots were to be assembled and take that thing out as quickly as possible before it did any serious damage... but we were told to remain on standby, as another outside force was be informed about the incident and ordered to do our job instead... And now I'm hearing that this outside force was you guys?" Jackson said as he sit back, finding it hard to process the fact that it was Ichika and his friends that were sent to intercept the Gospel, and not the strike force that FEISAR had put together for Lola to lead on what he could only describe back then as an extremely dangerous operation.

"Well, as hard as you might find it Jake... But we did have our reasons to why we were put in charge of stopping that IS." Said Ichika, trying to shed some light on Jakes mind. However, Jake on the other hand just raised a brow to him.

"Reasons... Such as?" He asks.

"Well to start with, we were most likely the only ones within large distance that had Personal IS's that together would have been strong enough to destroy it. But we soon hit a snag when we found out that the IS was flying too fast for most of my friends to catch up to it in time... Except for Houki... Her IS was just able to move fast enough to intercept it, and as for me. We also soon realised that because we would only get one chance at this, the only way we would kill this thing was with an IS that was able to hit it with a one shot kill... And my IS was the only one that possessed that ability."

Jake's eyes once again widen in shock. Granted, it made sense to him now that Ichika and his friends were given the order to kill the Gospel seeing that they were much closer to it than Lola was back then... But that wasn't what had him in shock, it was the last thing Ichika had said.

 _Did he just say..._

"One shot kill... You can do that!" He Stutters.

Ichika nods at Jake.

"The plan was for Houki to carry me on her back in order for me to conserve my IS's energy as we closed in on the Gospel, and when we got within range, I would hit it with everything I had before it would even know we were there. So long as everything went to plan, then we showed a promising chance at nailing that thing. But..." Ichika trails off for a moment as he thinks about their first shot at the Gospel, and the experiences sent a chill down his back. Jackson on the other hand spots his change of expression, and leans towards his roommate.

"But... What?... Ichika, what happened?"

Ichika takes a second to put his thought together, then turns back to face Jake again.

"Our shot at it... Was a miss. When Houki got me close enough to strike, right at the very last second the Gospel dodged my attack like it knew I was there. But instead of turning and running, we chased after it and tried again. But just like the first time, right when I took a swing it just flew out of my way at the last second. Next thing me and Houki know we're caught up in an intense fight with the Gospel, forced to take it head on and fight back with all our strength just to avoid getting blown outta the sky. Then just when me and Houki though it was going to make a run for it... The Gospel did this strange twist in the air, and before I knew it... hundreds of plasma shots came raining down from all directions, and straight for Houki. Without thinking, I rushed forward and put myself between the Gospel and her to protect her from the fire, and in result... I got shot out of the sky."

Jackson just sits there silent and wide eyed at what he'd just heard. He had known that the Gospel was a deadly piece of work and that anyone that got into a life or death tangle with it would have to be extremely lucky to survive. However, that thought was now changed as he just processed what heard...

 _No fuckin way... The crazy bastard... How is he still alive?_

"Ya did What!" He snaps, catching Ichika off guard.

"Huh?"

"Ichika... That spinning thing that the Gospel did was its signature attack (Fire Cyclone). That's an attack that is supposed to obliterate anything within its range... And you're telling me you were crazy enough to fly right into the middle of that... Why?" Jake asks. And Ichika just smiles at him.

"If I hadn't been that crazy, then it would've hit Houki instead... Guess I had no other choice. Besides Jake, I bet if it was you and one of your squad members instead of us... you would do the same." Ichika said with a small smile towards his roommate. Jake was about to say otherwise, but was instantly cut off when his mind takes a second thought at what Ichika had just said...

 _Well played Ich, Well played._

"True... but I think I'd try and save them without getting blown out of the sky in the process. What happened after you got hit though?" He asks, and Ichika thinks back for a second at where he left off. But then he rubs the back of his head whilst letting off an awkward chuckle.

"To tell you the truth JJ, other than Houki carrying me back to the others after our mission failed... I can't really remember anything after I got hit, because it was such a powerful attack that I got knocked out straight after... But what I did remember, was that straight after I woke up in the infirmary. I found out that all my friends had left without telling my sister... And heading out to bring round two to the Gospel."

The second Jake was able to process the last part of what Ichika had just said, his eyes once again shot wide open and this time, he even had to sit back as he was completely shocked beyond belief at what he just heard... And was only able to answer by saying.

"They, Fucking WHAT! Are they mad!" He blurted out, unable to believe it... If what he just heard was correct, then that would mean that those girls not only disobeyed a direct order from their superior adviser... But they had also gone off to take on an IS that they knew was totally capable of taking them all out again just like the first time. Contemplating on that thought, he couldn't help but feel a little deceived... When he was sitting with Ichika's friends earlier today, regardless of their positions as both Ace pilots or representative contenders, they didn't seem like the type of girls to do something he would personally call a recklessly stupid move to make. But it seemed he was totally wrong about that.

"That's right JJ. When they saw what had happened to me... It had upset them so much, that they secretly assembled behind Chifuyu's back and hunted that thing down and went after it with everything they had to try one last time to take it down for good... So yeah, guess you could say they were a bit mad back then." Said Ichika, chuckling awkwardly at the last part of his sentence. Jackson on the other hand is just sitting on his bed in total silence, and an expression of utter disbelief is glued firmly to his face... Of all the things that he had heard during Ichika's story, this had to be the part that had shocked him the most. It just didn't seem like something he would have expected from a group of girls like Ichika's friends to have done, on first impression, they seemed to be more of the respective and rule abiding type given the fact that most of them were representative contenders and would be the ones that were their to set an example for their respective nations, and not the type to disobey orders from Chifuyu Orimora of all people. He had not expected that he had been sitting next the ones that had taken down the Gospel, but now that he thought about what Ichika had said earlier about how they found out about the Gospel's existence, it made a little sense to him now as to why they were so quick to figure out that I-S-X-C-S Unit: 006 was in fact the Gospel, but not why they seemed to freak out at him for this. His mind however was less focused on that thought, and more on how he couldn't understand why those girls had disobeyed Chifuyu and gone after that IS, knowing that it was designed for widespread target destruction, and without Ichika and his one shot kill ability, regardless of their numbers the chances of success was still slim... Why would they do that? Was the mission that important to them?... Unless.

Jake's mind pauses for a second before he looks back at Ichika again, and he suddenly remembered that one or two of those girls were childhood friends with him... And that's when something clicked in his head... And things started to make sense to him.

 _It wasn't the mission that drove them to do that... It was him._

It all started to make sense for Jake now... "So that's why... That's what drove them... But... Does he even know?" He thought to himself.

Jake sits their for a few seconds, thinking whether or not Ichika seemed to be aware of what he thought might really be the real reason those girls disobeyed orders and went after the Gospel... But instead of sticking his nose into that, he just took a deep breath and let off a sigh as he shook his head at the boy sitting across him.

"Maybe they were a little crazy... But the fact that they went and did that to show the Gospel that shooting you down was a bad move... I gotta be honest. You got some real keepers for friends Ichika." He said through a smile, Ichika returns the smile.

"Anyway, after that-"

For the next few minutes Ichika explained to Jackson that pretty much right after he had recovered from his incident with the Gospel and found out that his friends had left to take it on again. He immediately fired up his own IS, and armed with the fact that his personal unit had just shifted into its secondary form, he left without telling Chifuyu as well and moved as fast as he could to help his friends. This only amazed Jake even more, unable to believe that someone shot down by the Gospel had just got straight up after and headed to take it on again without hesitation. And now that he thought about it, seeing that it was Ichika and his friends that shot it down, he began to think that his task of data collection whilst here at the academy was going to be a little harder than he thought. Ichika went on to tell Jake that although the fight only lasted maybe fifteen minutes at most, it seemed to last an eternity as they all pushed their bodies and their IS's to the limit as they threw everything they had at the Gospel, all of them, including their enemy reaching their breaking points in an all out fight to the death... And when he finally had an open chance, Ichika dived out of the sun at full speed and hit the Gospel with all his strength, sending them both smashing into the shore line of a nearby Island... He tells him about how he used his one shot kill ability to drive his sword straight through the Silver IS's chest, and after all the fights, the tears and the pain that this mission had endured on everyone... Ichika had finally managed to bring it all to an end.

"And that's about it JJ. Granted, Sis was pretty mad at all of us for doing something this reckless, she was glad we all made it back in one piece... but ever since that mission, none of us had ever spoken a word about it... Until you showed up here." Said Ichika, leaning back on his mattress as he glances at the clock.

20:46pm

It seemed his story had taken most of the evening to tell. Jackson on the other hand, couldn't care lass about what time it was as he was too consumed the fact that he had just realised that not only the pilots he was sent to do his data collection task on, were the same pilots that survived a fight with the Gospel... But now he's found out that his own roommate was the one that dealt the finishing blow. He was at a loss for words, he knew that thanks to both his training and his time enrolled as one of FEISAR'S Aces... He would be in a good enough state of strength and experience to have taken on the Gospel himself, but to think that two years ago... Whilst still in training, Ichika and his friends were taking on this brutal machine... And actually managed to kill it. The thought of that was simply mindboggling and Jake couldn't help himself from toppling backwards onto his mattress to stare up in at the ceiling as he begin to contemplate on the multitude of thoughts that were now spinning in his mind.

"So... That's how you and your friends found out about what the Silver Angel was, huh. Well, at least I can understand that part... But I have to ask you Ichika... Why are they getting so worked up around me because I knew about it as well?" He said whilst he was still looking upwards, the only thing he hears was the sound of Ichika letting off a small sigh.

"It's not really because you knew about it, JJ. It's more because they saw you as a part of it." Said Ichika, trying to pick his words carefully. As Jake's head finally takes in the words he just heard he quickly sits back up again and looks at Ichika with a confused expression on his face.

"A part of it... What the heck do they mean by that?" Jake asks.

"Jake... I'm just gonna be straight forward with you, bud... You see the truth is, that the reason my friends were so defensive around you about the Gospel was because you had told us that your personal IS was the prototype that was originally used to create that thing... And since your IS is still here after all this time, they were worried by the fact that who is to say that (Storm Ghost) wasn't used to create another Gospel... And I know you may not believe me after hearing how tough my friends are JJ, the truth is that they really don't want to go through something like that again... I had seen the affect that they suffered from me getting shot down when I was confronted by Houki. She'd probably been the one that was hurt the most by it and she even blamed herself for me getting hurt, and the others weren't too far off feeling the same... So that's why I wanted to talk to you Jake, to find out for them whether or not there really is another Gospel out there."

After Ichika finished, the room was filled with total silence as he is just left with a blank stare from Jake. However, unknown to him, Jake was just thinking over everything he had heard from the girls today as well as what he discussed with them. It all started to make perfectly clear sense to him as to why they had acted that way around him, how they jumped to conclusion so early and why things had seemed to be a little tense between him and them. But Jake had a more important thought on his mind that he needed to know.

"Why didn't any of you just ask me that in the first place?" He said through a blunt face... And as soon as Ichika heard him say that, he was left jaw dropped.

"What!" He replied, unable to believe Jake had just said that.

"Why did no one just ask me that, I could have explained everything there and then... Woulda made everything up till now so much easier, and less tense."

Upon hearing this, all Ichika could do in response was fall back onto his mattress and sigh excessively as he now stares at the ceiling. Of all the things Jake could have said to him... It had to be something he knew that should have been done from the start... Danmit.

"Seriously... I thought you said that the information regarding the Gospel was classified?" He said whilst still looking upwards, then hears Jake let off a sigh of his own.

"If you guys had of told me about how you found out about the Gospel in the first place, then I could of understood why all of you were so edgy about it... And I could have explained what you wanted to know quite easily without breaching any rules." Said Jake as he explains things to Ichika... Even though they both knew it was a little too late for that logic. Jake pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head at the mishap, then looked at Ichika who was still lying flat on his bed.

"So... You and your friends were worried that another Gospel that was possibly made?" Jackson said as he folds his arms, in response, Ichika sits back up again, and nods at him to confirm his suspicions. But to Ichika's surprise, Jake just seemed to smile at him.

"Well... I'm glad to even say for myself, that no Ich... They're aren't any others." He said through a reassuring smile, and straight away Ichika's ears perk up at what he just heard.

"Huh... Really Jake?" He asked, honestly a little surprised that he answered him with such a warm expression... Almost as if he was glad himself that there supposedly wasn't another Gospel. Then he remembered the files that he saw on Jakes computers, the ones tagged I-S-X-C-S Unit: 001 to 005, and That Jake refered the Gospel as Unit: 006, so instinctively he decided to ask about that as well... Just to make sure.

"But what about those files on your computers, the ones that have the same tag as the one you mentioned the Gospel as?"

For a moment Jake just sits quietly at the edge of his bed, he raised a brow at Ichika, at first not completely sure of what he was getting at but after a few seconds his mind clicked as he quickly realised what the boy was implying. And the expression on his face showed it.

 _Oh... Now I get it._

Jake decied there and then that the best way to prove to Ichika that what he was telling him was true was to show him. Without saying anything he get up from his bed and gestured a now confused Ichika to follow him to the computer system, sitting down in his seat Jake logs back into the system and Ichika watched as all six screens lit up again.

"When you put it that way Ich, I could understand why you had that thought about these files. However, to prove that I'm not deceiving you, I'll explain exactly what they are." Jake says as he scroll over to the file marked I-S-X-C-S Unit: 003 and opens it up. Ichika watches quietly as a large spread of data flies across to the left and fill up two of the screens, and almost straight away, that was when he spots that the right hand screen was filled with all the data that Jake had collected on Cecilia earlier today, but on the left screen was another collection of data regarding a different IS, one that he wasn't familiar with. And he peers closer at its name.

 _Wave Tracker?_

"Ichika... Say hello to the personal IS of Freya Shworkofski, aka (Gun Smoke). She's the third member of I-X-S-C-S and is the squad marksman." Jake said, clicking the screen again he brings up her pilots file which showed a photo of the young blonde as well as all her specified data for Ichika to have a better understanding of who he was looking at, and that was when he spotted something unusual in the picture of the young girl.

"Jake... Why is she wearing a blindfold?"

"That's another story for another time Ich... Let me explain what these files are all about." Jackson replied as he brings them back onto the subject of the matter.

"So you see Ichika, I-S-X-C-S is the codename for FEISAR'S specialised Infinite Stratos division. Me and my squadrons Personal IS's are the only ones in the in this division and to our researchers and scientists we're referred by our Unit names which are 001, 2, 3, 4 and 5. However, out in the field or around the base we are mostly referred to each other by our combat Nicknames, take Freya for example... Her nickname is Gun Smoke, and Lola's is Stinger... All these files contain the statistics and data of my squads IS's so that all data I collect here at the academy can be sorted easily for me to work with. And this file is the one for all data gathered from Miss Alcott."

As Ichika continues to listen to Jakes explanation of how things were working in his computers, for the first time tonight, he was starting to feel a little more at ease now that things were starting to make clearer sense to him. As they go deeper into the detail of everything, Ichika also found out that after the Gospel Incident, Jake had personally helped put a stop to more projects being conducted by having all files regarding Unit: 006 terminated. Then after that, he had a contract made that forbidden any outside company from using any data of technology that was originally extracted from (Storm Ghost), meaning that the chance of another Gospel being created had gone from slim to none just like that. Yet despite all this, and the relieving fact that there wasn't another Gospel, as Jackson was logging out of his system again, Ichika had found another question that was pondering his mind quite badly... So he decided to ask.

"You know Jake, from the sound of it... You played a pretty big part in making sure that another Gospel wasn't created. Mind if I asked why you put so much effort into doing so?" Said Ichika as Jake gets up from his seat, and seemed to pause for a second after hearing that. Then sighs a little as he turn to face him with his arms folded.

"Let's just say that me and the theory of unmanned IS's don't go well together, in fact Ich... To tell the truth... I hate them."

"Really?" Ichika replies... That was a surprise to him. Jake just nods quietly at him, stretching out his arms in the process.

"Yeah... I do, I mean think about it Ich... I'm sure that both you and your friends would agree with me that giving something as powerful as the IS a mind of its own... Is an idea that is just asking to go catastrophically wrong, right?"

"Yeah... I'm pretty sure they would." Ichika replies.

"However, I don't hate all A.I.U's made for IS's because some have actually helped me with maintaining (Storm Ghost)... Especially my good little friend, Tohka." Jake said, this time a smile was gracing his face. However Ichika on the other just stood there and raises a brow at him.

"Tohka?... Who's Tohka?" He said sounding rather dumbfounded, not too sure why Jake had said that name... But then what happened next, was something that Ichika wouldn't have seen coming from a mile off.

Before Jake answered his question, Ichika hears a sweet, yet subtle giggle come from in the room... A female giggle, and instantly Ichika starts looking around to find out where that noise was coming from. But as soon as he turns around to look behind him...

"GWAHHHHH!" He cries out as he stumbles backwards, tripping over a chair leg in the process and causing him to hit the floor. He hears Jackson chuckle a bit at this, but he was too consumed by what was in front of his to even look at his roommate... He was just at a loss for words... As a young Brunet girl, roughly about the same age as him by the look of it had been standing behind him, and was now looking down at him with a warming grin on her face.

"Oh don't worry... I don't bite, I'm friendly." She says as she leans forward and brings her head a little closer to Ichika. The girl had smooth tanned skin, hazel coloured eyes and long thick brown hair that flowed gracefully over her shoulders. She was wearing what seemed to be a nightgown of all things? it had a silky texture to its look and was coloured in a mix of dark purple and jet black, just like Jakes IS. the gown hugged the young girls figure tightly, and as she bent forward to look down at Ichika... He finds himself turning his head away and covering his slightly flustered face after catching an eyeful of cleavage from her. Jackson just laughs under his breath as he watched his roommate fall into a rather amusing state of confusion, and it was then, that the young girl looks over to Jackson and smiles brightly as she walks over to him.

"Bout time you mentioned me JJ." She said in a happy tone as she leans against the edge of the desk. Ichika tries to come up with the words to demand answers to the many questions that had flooded his mind, but he was in such a huge state of shock he was just babbling out random gibberish... Who the hell is this girl? What is she doing in this room? How did she get in here? Why does she know Jake? And why on earth is she dressed like that! All these thoughts circulated through his mind as he continues to stutter for words. By this time, Jake had enjoyed his roommates behaviour enough for now and approaches him, chuckling as his hand reaching out in aid for him.

"you getting up?" He cackles as Ichika takes hold of his hand and is pulled back up on to his feet by Jake.

"Thanks." Ichika groans as he straightens himself back up. Looking past Jake he sees the young girl smiling brightly at him, and after taking a second to collect his thought. Ichika finally managed to ask the one question that had enveloped his mind.

"JJ... Who is that girl?... And how did she get in here?"

Jake turns his head to the girl, smiling at her as he gestures her towards Ichika.

"Would you care to introduce yourself?" He asked, and almost straight away the girl does a little twist of joy as she skips past Jake and stops just in front of Ichika.

"Hello Ichika Orimura... My name is I.S.X.I.F Prototype LQ-001... But everyone just calls me Tohka instead, its an easier name to say... It's so nice to finally meet my bosses roommate face to face." Tohka said through a beaming smile, whereas Ichika on the other hand, had just somehow managed to become even more confused than before...

 _What did she just say her name was?_

"I.S.X- Proto-wha... What do you mean by that... And did you just say JJ was your Boss?" He stutters out as he tries to figure out what he was just told. Jake lets off a small sigh as he had a feeling that he would have acted like that, and decided to shed some light on the situation.

"Infinite . Stratos . Xperimental . Inter-Face . Prototype... You see Ich, all IS's in FEISAR'S I-S-X-C-S Division carry highly advanced on board semi-autonomous artificial intelligence units... However, Storm Ghost has a very unique A.I... An additional Prototype Interface programming was installed, allowing the A.I to engage in verbal communication with the pilot... And anyone else within its vicinity." He said as he looks at Tohka, who was still smiling at the very confused Ichika, he takes a few moments for his mind to process what Jake had just said... But in honesty, he was still confused by what he heard... And the more he contemplated on Jakes words... The more unbelievable it was turning out to be.

 _Huh... Is he trying to say this girl... is an A.I?_

"And to answer your other question Ichika..." He heard Tohka say outside his cloud of confusion, and when he looks at her, Ichika nearly tumbles backwards as he moves back when Tohka just seemed to move straight at him as if she was intending to tackle him. Ichika wasn't fast enough to avoid her and was prepared to be knock to the ground again, but what happened next... Was something he truly wasn't prepared for. As Tohka makes contact with him, her body suddenly began to dissipate into particles of light and move away from Ichikas body.

"What the heck!" Ichika gasps as the young girl was quickly reduced to light... The particles wrap their way round his form as it passes by him and moves behind him, and when he manages to turn around... The light particles start to quickly reconnect and Tohkas human form reappears behind him... Ichika was left with his jaw dropping as Tohka folds her arms and gives him another smile. "I've been here the entire that JJ's been here."

After seeing this Ichika just turns to Jake with his mouth left completely agape.

"Jake... What the heck did she just do?" He stutters as he asks for answers. And Jake smirks at him as he raised a hand.

"See that up there Ich." He says as he points up in the corner of the ceiling, and when Ichika turns to look where he is pointing, he spots a strange looking semi-sphere like object that was attached to the wall up in the corner of the room. He then looks back at Jake.

"What is that thing?" He asked.

"That's a wireless three dimensional holographic light projector. There's one in each corner of the room It's hooked up to the portable IS data transaction platform on the desk, when my IS is within range of the platform... Tohka is able to wirelessly release herself from the IS by projecting an image of herself and can freely move around the room... Crazy as it might seem Ich, but this is a very effective way of helping me understand my IS quicker than it takes for most other people." Jake said as he explains the reason behind how Tohka was able to get into the room without being seen... Which soon turned out to be the fact that she had been in the room the entire time and had just been listening to the two of them since they started talking to each other.

"Sooooo... Tohka is a holographic image of your IS in a human form?" Said Ichika as he was finally starting to get his head around things. Jake nods at him and confirms by say that was probably the closest thing to describing her... Considering that Tohka was initially the main A.I Unit from Jakes IS, and everything there was to know about both Jake and his IS was stored within her memory.

"Okay... I get that... but" Ichika trails off as he takes a glance at Tohka. "Why is she wearing a nightgown?"

Jake doesn't answer straight away and instead let off an awkward chuckle as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, about that... Tohka also has the ability to change her attire depending on the time and place she is in... and because she's in our room at late evening, she seems to have picked nightwear."

Tohka turns to look at the two boys, and pouts for some reason... "I thought you both would be fine with me picking something comfortable of the time... But if you don't like the clothes I'm wearing, I could just make them disappear if that would be any bet-."

NOOOOO, NOO, NO DON'T DO THAT" Jake suddenly shouted out, waving his hands back and forth in a (Don't you dare) kind of motion. Ichika feels a small pang of fear shoot through his body after hearing that.

 _This holo-chick can make her clothes disappear!_

He mentally shakes his head to remove the thoughts creeping in as his tries not to think of what sort of painful world he would be dropped in if the girls ever found out about this holographic version of Jakes IS, and mistake her for some kinda virtual lap dancer or something. As he is lost in his own mind, Tohka just giggles at Jacksons reaction.

"Oh lighten up JJ, I'm just kidding with you." She chuckles as she twirls round him to sit on the edge of his bed, and then a crafty smirk graces her features as she turns to Ichika. "But I didn't hear Ichy-kun objecting over there... maybe I should let the kid have a peek"

Ichika hadn't really been paying much attention at that point, but when he just realised what Tohka was implying, that small pang of fear thst he felt earlier just increased by the tenfold as he finds himself waving her not to do it... whereas Jake was pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration as he shook his head at Tohka.

 _Oh God... She has already started acting like the others._

Quickly acting to save the two from any awkwardness, Jackson cuts in on the conversation.

"No... Going... All... Natural... In... This... Room, got that Tohka!" He said slowly, yet extremely firmly in a tone that Ichika hadn't heard from Jake yet, and Tohka just pouts at her partner.

"Fine... Geez JJ, why do you always get so tense when I'm trying to have a little fun."

Ignoring her for a second, Jake turns his attention Ichika.

"At least I've stopped us from getting into any real problems if your friends were to walk in and see her." He said through his own reassurance, and Ichika nods at him as well.

"I hope so... Anyway, should we start winding down for the night." Ichika suggested, and gets a nod back from Jackson as he stretched out his arms. Ichika said he would be a moment as he went into the bathroom to wash his hands, leaving Jake to work on the hobs and cook up something for the two of them. However, when he turned to tell Tohka to get ready to log off the projectors, he saw that she had moved from the edge of his bed and was now standing in front of the open door of his wardrobe, with a rather confused expression on her face.

"What's the matter Tohka?" Jake asked as he walks over to her.

"I just noticed something... You're not wearing your lucky hat, but it isn't on the shelf in here where you usually keep it... Where is it?" Tohka said as she stares into the wardrobe. Jake raises a brow at her as he moves to look.

"What do you mean... I brought it back with me earlier today and put it..." Jake stops talking when he sees that the shelf that he keeps his on during the night... was totally empty. He stood there for a second feeling pretty baffled, but he suddenly realises something, and drops his eyes to the floor.

"God Sake..." He muttered under his breath, and Tohka folds her arms at him as she picks up on what has happened.

"Geez Jake... You left it behind, Again haven't you!"

Jake sighs as he realised that Tohka was right, he had forgotten his hat and had left it behind at the last place he was at earlier today.

"It's no biggie... I know where it is, I left it at the arena locker rooms after I finished voluntary combat training... I'll just go get it just now." Saying this Jake makes his way to the bedroom door, but then Tohka rushed forward and breaks into light particles so she could quickly whiz past Jackson and reappear in front of him.

"Am I not going with you?" She asks, sounding somewhat rather sad at the thought of it. Knowing that she needed him to put his IS back on in order to go with him, Jake knew she was just playing one of her usual games again and just chuckles at her.

"I'm sure I'll survive a little stroll from here to the lockers Tohka, you just stay here for now." He said, Tohka admittedly was a little disappointed at this, but as a hologram, she wasn't really in any position to do otherwise. So she just accepts his decision and Jake gives her a smile, and walks round her to knock on the bathroom door where Ichika was.

"Yo, Ich." Jake Calls out.

"Yeah, JJ." Ichika replies from inside the bathroom.

"I left my hat back at the locker room, I'm just gonna quick go grab it... So I'm just gonna leave Tohka here with you, Okay."

There was a few seconds of silence between the two of them now, it seemed Ichika was having a second thought on Jakes plan.

"You sure you'll be fine JJ, and are you sure its a good idea leaving her here?" He heard him say from behind the bathroom door.

"Yes I'm sure I'll be fine, I know the way there... And don't worry about Tohka, she'll behave." Jake sighs, somehow knowing that was going to be Ichika's reaction.

"Alright then... But you might have to be quick, because now is about the time that Chifuyu want's all the students to return to the dorms." Said Ichika, giving Jake a fair warning of his sisters rule, and he hears Jake chuckle on the other side of the door.

"She won't even know I left the room." Jake chided, as he opens the door to head to the locker room, he looks back and gives Tohka one last word of warning.

"Now, don't go playing with his head too much... I don't think he's completely ready for you just yet." Jake said quietly to her as not to let Ichika hear him, and Tohka smiles brightly at him.

"Don't worry, JJ... I'll be good to him." She said in a playful tone. Jake was a little edgy to leave after hearing that, but in the end he knew Tohka wouldn't do anything too stupid at least. So going on instinct, he shuts the door and heads for the lockers to retrieve his hat.

A few moments later Ichika opens the bathroom door after washing up and walks out to find that Tohka lying on her stomach on Jakes bed, and he feels his body jolt when she gives him a playful wink, smiling brightly at him.

"So... What you wanna do now?" She said casually, but he could sense the suggestiveness in her tone. And after that, Ichika could only do one thing... Swallow dryly as he began to pray in his head.

 _Oh Dear God JJ... Please hurry up and get back here._


	10. Whispers in the wind

Jake quietly walks through the empty corridors of the dormitory building of the IS academy as he makes his way down to the changing rooms of arena four to retrieve his lucky hat after discovering that for some reason that he didn't realise that he'd left it behind. The halls were totally lifeless and silent, and after looking at his watch to check the time (21:16PM) he assumes that most of the students might have already gone to sleep by now. He reaches the end of the corridor to his floor and begins to make his way down the stairwell, the faint sound of his footsteps echo through the air as he reaches the ground floor and exits the building. The cool night air was brisk yet gentle on the exposed skin of his arms and face as he walks down the path that he remember leading him to the arena changing rooms, and he finds himself gazing up at the clear bright moon lit sky, and the faintly lit pathways that ran across the IS academy left a warming glow that just seemed to leave him in such a calm and peaceful mood.

"Man... This place is so beautiful at night." He quietly said to himself as he continues his stroll towards the arena, he makes his way over without really having any problems, and passes the time by thinking about everything that he and Ichika had talked about earlier that day.

"So... It was Ichika and his friends that shot down the Gospel all that time ago." He thought to himself, he knew that back then when the Gospel had been taken down, it was done by an outside force... But the last thing he was ever expecting was that he would be carrying out a data collection program on the very pilots that were responsible for the Destruction of such a dangerous IS.

"Jesus... The girls back at FEISAR are never gonna believe this." He chuckles to himself, he get closer to his destination... When all of a sudden. Jake stops dead in his tracks when he feels a strange chill run down the back of his neck, sensing something unusual in the atmosphere, like an unknown presence was observing him from a distance. He looks around him for a second trying to see if he could see anyone... or anything that was nearby. Then the wind picks up slightly and the cold air whooshes past Jake. Suddenly out of nowhere, a bone chilling sensation sweeps over Jacksons body when a ghostly whisper in the wind fills his ears. Whispering.

 _Jaaaaaack_

Startled by this, Jake quickly turns around in the direction the wind was going... And that's when he saw it... standing in the middle of the pathway behind him was a strange figure, definitely that of a human form. The figure was standing out of the light of the pathway and only a faint outline of its slouched pose was seen in the dark, it seemed to be covering half its face with one hand whilst carrying a long thin object of some sort in the other. Still not sure if this was really happening, or if he was just seeing things... Jake takes a step towards the dark figure.

"Who's there... This is a private campus." He said in a stern tone, but receives no reply from the shadowy form in the distance. A few moments pass by where Jake just stands still and stares at whatever it was he thought he could see in the dark, but the more he did, the sooner he comes to the conclusion that he was just barking at shadows and turns his back to the figment of his imagination... But as he begins to walk away, the wind blows and another ghoulish whisper passes his ears.

 _You can't hide from me... Jack._

Hearing this causes Jakes whole body to suddenly jolt in shock, because within seconds, he realised what really was behind him... Although he prayed that he was wrong... Immediately he violently spins back round to look behind him... And what he saw next struck a cringing feeling into him. The figment of his had stepped forward into the light just enough reveal most of its body, but its head remained concealed by the darkness. Jake takes a step back from the figure as he stares at its gruesome state, the exposed flesh of its upper body was riddled with deep cuts and lacerations that left very little of its skin unharmed, blood oozed from the wounds and trickles its way down the figures body, dripping onto the pathway around where it was standing. Jakes only reaction was a speechless expression as he stares at the figures torn up flesh, and when looks down at its hand he saw that it was carrying a sword... A straight Katana blade... Looking at the blade which was soaked in blood, Jake assumed that this figure just come out of a massive fight, but knowing what that thing was... Things were never as simple as that. Then the figure speaks again through the wind.

 _You... Can't... Hide..._

The figure points the tip of the Katana blade in Jakes direction, blood dripping from the razor sharp edge... And that was when he noticed something about the wounds that covered its body. He cautiously takes a step closer to the figure and peers at its chest... And what he saw made his own skin crawl.

Those weren't battle wounds on the figure... They were self inflicted ones... And they were sending some kinda message.

Jakes eyes widen when he soon realises that the blade in the figures hand had been used to carve those lacerations into a sick and twisted number of words that he assumed were aimed at him. The words reading out.

 _Lier... Fake... Lost Cause... Coward... False Hero!_

Jake stumbles back away from the twisted sight in front of him as he struggles to come to grips with he was seeing, this wasn't real... it couldn't be... why now... As he stands dead still and struggles to find the words to speak, his mind was so consumed that he was completely caught off guard by from sudden feeling of a hand being placed on his shoulder.

"Jackson?"

A familiar voice was heard from behind him, but it had caught Jake by such surprise... So badly that he did the only thing anyone else would have done.

"GWAAAAHHH." He shouted out as his body jolts in shock, and straight after he did so, a female cry of shock was heard as well. Jake quickly turned around to see who it was that had snuck up on him... It was none other than Charlotte, who had been coming back from another one of her club activities and saw him staring at something. the two of them breath heavily for a moment as they come down from their state of shock, Charlotte pressing a hand to her chest, feeling as if her heart was about to burst out of her.

"Mon Dieu, Jackson! What was that for." She said to him, her voice stammered and shaken by the startling she just received. Jake stutters for breath, and after a few moments of realising that it was Charlotte that had made him jump, he lands his palm flat on his forehead and looked down at the ground, undeniably feeling pretty embarrassed that he had been startled like that.

"Sorry Charlotte... I just really wasn't expecting that." He apologies, sighing as he looks back up to see that Charlotte was looking at him with a questionable expression on her face.

"It's okay... But what were you doing there, I was passing by and saw you staring at nothing." Said Charlotte as she looks past Jake and at the area she saw him looking at earlier. Jackson takes a second to process the fact that he just heard the young blonde say that he was staring at nothing, even though he knew there was something out there... And as he does, a twisted chuckle slips past his ear in the breeze to leave one last whisper as he turns round to where the figure behind him had been standing.

 _You better wake up soon... Jaaaaaaack_

And as if it had all been a dream, the figure had vanished from sight, leaving a cold chill down Jakes back as he looks into the emptiness. There was no trace of the figure whatsoever... Even all the blood on the pavement that had dripped from its wounds had disappeared as well, like Jake had hallucinated the whole thing. He mentally shook his head, knowing that Charlotte would think he was mad if he said what had seen to her, so he improvises with a fake expression on his face.

"Oh... Nothing Charlotte... I thought I heard something over there, but it must've been you in the distance and I looked in the wrong direction." He said adding an awkward chuckle at the end. In response Charlotte just raises a brow to him, seeing this Jake speaks again.

"I'm sorry I gave you a fright... that was my bad." he said apologetically to her. And in return he gains a small smile from her.

"No... I'm the one that should say sorry first Jackson, after all... I scared you first." She says with her usual modest smile. Jake give off a little chuckle as he rubs the back of his neck.

"Yeah... Lets not tell the others about that, can we."

A light chuckle of humour comes from Charlotte.

"Sure, I wont tell them... But what were you doing out here by the way?" She asked.

"I had left my lucky hat back at the locker room, so I'm just heading over to retrieve it." Jake said, patting the top of his head to indicate the missing hat. Charlotte gives an expression of understanding after hearing this.

"Oh I see, well then... I'll leave you to it Jackson, and I will see you and the others in class tomorrow."

"Yeah... I look forward to it. Have a good night Charlotte and I'll see you tomorrow." Jake said politely to the young girl who smiles brightly at him before nodding his head in good bye to him as she began to make her way back to the dormitories to retire for the night. Jake continues on to the arena lockers, but a few seconds later he peers back over his shoulder... to make sure Charlotte had left his sight. When he sees that there was no sign of her anywhere, he lets off a disgruntled groan and pinches the bridge of his nose in frustration... His mind is scrambled by the sight of those words carved into that figures body, all the twisted things they aimed at him, the sadistic nature of the words, but the one thing that messed with him the most was the fact that it all seemed so real to him... he swore he could really see it and if he had hadn't been jump scared by Charlotte then he might have been able to get a look at its face and maybe could have tried to find out who the heck that thing was... but now, it had vanished from sight and had left him wondering when the next time this thing was going to try and taunt him again. As he contemplates on the thoughts, he shakes his head and runs his hands through his hair.

"Just forget about it JJ... It was just some weird hallucination... It can't do shit to you... Just remember that" He quietly tells himself. If he was to let this get to his head then that would just leave the chance for either Ichika or any of the other girls to notice... And talking about this thing... was without a doubt the last thing he was wanting to do, breathing deeply to calm his nerves down he continues walking until he finally reached the changing rooms to the arena. As the automatic door opens he sees that the lights were still on, but ignores that as he enters the room and looks for his hat.

"Lets see..." he mumbles, walking around as he traces his thoughts back from when he was here earlier. "Where's that row?"

After a few moments of searching, he finds the roman numerals that marked the twelfth row of lockers that he remembers changing at and walks down to the middle of the isle. As he did so, Jake reaches up and runs his hand across the top of the lock as he clearly remembers that because his hat was too wide to fit into the locker, he left it discreetly perched on top of the locker he used. His fingers slid across the cold metal of the lockers until they suddenly brush over the familiar feel of leather.

"Ah ha... There you are." He said as he picks his hat off the locker and smiles brightly at it.

"Can't believe I nearly forgot about you." Saying this he sweeps his hand against the side of his lucky hat to brush off the faint layer of dust that had formed on it before he returns it to its rightful place back on top of his head. Looking at his watch again, Jake sighed as he noticed what time it was now.

"I better hurry up and get back to the dorm... I've left Ich with Tohka for way longer than I was expecting to." He chuckles as he thought about just what kind of face he was expecting to see on Ichika when he gets back after leaving him alone in the same room with that Holographic version of his IS. He knew he was probably going to be met with a hell of a lot of questions as to why Tohka behaves the way she seems to do in terms of social confrontation... To be totally honest, even Jake wasn't too sure himself why she acts this way... He always thought it was more down the fact that she spends an even amount of time learning how to interact with people from being around the rest of his squadron that made her like that... But in the end... Tohka was just, well... Tohka. The thought makes him chuckle a bit as he started to make his way back to his room. However... The second Jake turns round, he is stopped dead as he is unwelcomely surprised by the appearance of a female figure that had just walked around the corner, and was now blocking his way to the exit... But after taking a few seconds, Jake feels his gut suddenly wrench as he soon realises that this person in front of him... Was Rin.

 _Oh... Lord... This isn't good._

It was unaware to Jackson that when he had walked into the changing room, he hadn't noticed that Rin had been taking a shower here after staying at the arena a bit later for some extra practice after having her IS fully repaired from after her match against him. As she walks to her locker, she had not yet noticed the young boy that was merely a few metres away from her as she was covering her head with a towel to dry off her hair, humming a sweet tune to herself as she goes about her business, Jake is left motionless as he starts to panic a little after realising it was Rin in front of him... She was completely naked but mercifully wearing a small white towel that although was barely able to reach the top of her thighs, it at least shielded Jakes eyes from accidentally seeing any of her... unmentionable areas... large droplets of warm water trickle down the bare skin of her legs, leaving a shiny trail as they reach the floor around her while she opens her locker and reached for her bottle of skin moisturiser. He knew he should just made a dash for it... He knew he should have just gotten the hell outta there before Rin had spotted him... But he had been so caught off by what he was seeing, that Jake had found himself glued to the spot with no idea of what to do... Until the inevitable happened, as Rin pulls her towel off from drying her hair she swishes her head to the side to flick her hair to one side. That was when she finally notices the boy standing a few feet away from her, and the happy cheerful expression on her face is instantly wiped off into one of shock.

"J-Jackson!" She stutters.

"Uuuuuhhh..." Was all she got in response from him as he himself was at a loss for words. Then Rin looks down at her body to see that Jake was indeed seeing her in nothing but the small towel she was wearing, and upon realising this... Rin's eyes slowly widen in shock, her face burning up into a bright shade of red, before screaming out at Jake.

"DON'T LOOK AT ME!"

She throws the bottle of moisturiser at him with brutal force, and Jake just barely manages to duck in time to miss being hit by it.

"Gwah!... S-sorry" Jake said sharply as he quickly twists his body and averts his eyes from her to look in the opposite direction.

"What the hell are you doing in here you filthy pervert... You spying on me or something." Rin shouted at him, with her face bright red from the mixed emotion of anger and embarrassment, she wraps her arms tightly around her chest to cover herself up a bit more. Jakes widens as well after hearing her accuse him of such a crude thing.

"What, NO!... Why the heck would I do that." he snaps back at her. "I left my hat here and came back for it... I didn't know that you were here."

"What kinda dumbass excuse is that!" Rin said in anger to him, clearly unconvinced by his statement that he was really just here to retain his hat. Jackson just sighs quietly to himself... Somehow he knew that was going to be Rin's reaction to his answer, and was starting to feel like quite the idiot for freezing up so much that he didn't just leave when he had a chance. None the less, he decides to be his usual modest self in order to get out of this mess.

"It's no excuse... Look Rin, I just want to get back to my room alright... So how about this, I just cover my eye and walk outta here like nothing happened, and you can finish up what you are doing here. No one outside this room needs to know we saw each other, Okay?" Saying this, Jake raised one of his hands over his good eye and leaves the eye patched one alone as he turned around, to show to Rin that he was trying to be modest as possible to avoid any unwanted trouble. Rin paused for a moment, her mind left slightly scrambled at how to act... She couldn't help but feel mad at Jake for seeing her like this, nor could she stop thinking like letting him away without at least a slap to the face was letting him off too lightly... But at the same time, she could somehow come to respect his modesty and the fact that he really didn't seem to want any trouble only made her believe him even more. Had this been Ichika in this position, then he probably would have dramatically over reacted towards her and ended up doing something both pretty stupid and embarrassing, but it was nothing like that with Jake... And granted, he did freak out a little after first seeing Rin, he'd actually reacted rather respectively to the situation. Feeling that he should at least be given a chance, Rin sighs to herself as she takes a step to the side in order to let Jake walk past.

"Alright then... Although I should give you a pounding for this, I'll let you live this time... But if you even think of telling anyone... Then you'll pay for it, big time." Rin said to Jake in her usually sharp tone, but he just gives her a small smile.

"Thanks Rin." Jake replies as he begins to step forward and make his way towards the locker room exit, with his eyes covered as to not see Rin he takes extra caution with his steps so he wouldn't bump into either her or a locker or something... However... it seemed that no level of caution could protect him from his own clumsiness as he suddenly feels a sharp pain race through his left leg as he was unable to notice one of the benches that sat in the middle of the locker isle... And stubs his foot against the corner of it.

"DWAAAAHHH!" Jake grunts as his leg suddenly goes limp from stubbing his foot and quickly loses his balance, without thinking to uncover his eye, Jake just stumbles forward uncontrollably as he tries not to fall flat on his face... when suddenly.

 _CRASH!_

He feels his body collide with something and Jake tumbles down to the ground with an all mighty thud that echoed throughout the locker room. Laying on the floor and dazed by his fall, Jackson just groans in discomfort as he begins to come around... That's when he noticed something unusual. Right before he'd toppled over Jake had reached out with one of his hands to at least block his face from hitting the ground first, but when he twitched his palm, he noticed that he was holding onto something... something soft and warm.

And the second he realised this... Jake felt his entire body tense up in shock... Although he didn't want to know, he had a pretty good feeling that he knew what happened, he had seen things like this happen in many of the anime's that he used to watch, that thing that the main protagonist always did at some point in the show... that one thing that always resulted in them getting the living daylight beaten out of them. And even though he knew he would regret doing this, Jackson slowly opened his eye to see if his assumption was correct... And to he fear, it was.

When he tripped over the bench, he had fallen in Rin's direction... And despite her best efforts to move out the way, Jake had crashed straight into her. His eye trails up to see that his body had landed flat on top of hers, his torso forced between her legs and the side of his face resting on her stomach. Mercifully her towel was still on and he had landed on that instead... But Jackson was far from safe, as he looks up and almost instantly freezes when he saw that he'd knocked the top of Rin's towel loose and had pushed it down and exposed her bare chest. And to add insult to the injury, when Jake reached out to block his fall... he accidentally planted he hand right into Rin's left breast... and was still holding her in his hand. Jake swallows dryly when he fully comes to grips with what had happened and looks up to see Rin staring back at him, her face a mix of shock, embarrassment... And purified rage.

Upon seeing Rin's death stare and feeling her eyes boring straight through him, Jackson instinctively withdrawals his hand from her as fast as he humanly could and with a sudden gasp for breath he launches himself backward and away from Rin. He scuttles back and puts some distance between the two of them, his expression showing how shocked he was by what he'd somehow managed to _accidentally_ do. Rin pulls the top of her towel up to cover up her chest again, and for Jake the next few second seemed to slow right down as the two teenagers are at a loss for words. The two of them shared the same shocked expression on their face as they stare at each other... but then Rin's eyebrow began to twitch and her expression soon changes to one that expressed the anger that was quickly growing within her.

"Y-y-you... Y-you" She stuttered angrily... Jake on the other hand quickly starts waving his hands in a (Calm down) motion when he noticed that the flame pink and black bracelet around Rin's wrist starts to glow bright white... meaning only one thing.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa... Rin wait... it was an accident, lets not do anything rash here." He said as he tried to calm her down, but it seemed like Rin was completely ignoring him as she activates (Shenlongs) partial deployment stage, Jackson watches as the whole of Rin's right arm is encased in her armour and one of her blades appear in her hand. Angered by what she was calling Jakes rather pathetic excuse for what had happened Rin stares directly at him with murderous intension.

"Accident... I'll show you an accident." She snapped, and straight after saying this, Rin raises her blade high above her head and lunges herself towards him.

"DIE YOU ROTTEN PERVERT!" She screams as she swings her weapon down with brutal force.

"Holy Shit!" Jake stutters as he somehow manages to dive out of the way with an inch to spare. The ground shakes as Rin's blade embedded itself into the floor, Jake is left stunned as he looks at the spot he was just standing at a second ago. But he had no time to waste sitting around as Rin rips her weapon out of the floor and swings at him again.

"Damnit... hold still you rat." Rin said in frustration as she tries to slice Jake in half, but misses him and nearly takes out an entire row of lockers when he drops to the floor to dodge the blade.

Hey... Knock it off Rin... Don't force me to fight back." He said as he warns Rin that he wasn't afraid to use his own strength in defence. However this just seemed to make her laugh at him.

"Don't be stupid... I can see that eyepatch you're wearing isn't your personal Unit. You got nothing to fight back with." She chided, calling out the fact that Jake had indeed left his IS behind and with another attack from her, Jake dives back to dodge Rin's steel blade and swore he felt the tip of her weapon clip his shirt.

"Jesus... This chick is psycho!" he mutters to himself as he bounces back up from the floor after narrowly avoiding being cut in two. He knew that with his IS left back up in his room with Ichika he had no change of fighting Rin without his partial deployment mode, however Jake wasn't a coward either and he had a trick up his sleeve for getting out of this alive. As Rin swings at him again, he suddenly jumps into the air and spins his body as fast as he could, bringing his foot round in an aerial round house kick, Jackson strikes the side of Rin's blade with so much force that he actually manages to knock it out of her hand. Rin is stunned as she watched her blade hit the floor and slide off behind her, but she soon turns her attention back to Jake who was now standing in front of her with his arms brought up to his chin in a defensive boxing stance with his fists clenched tightly.

"I'm warning you, girl... don't do it." He said to her, and this only seemed to anger Rin even more.

"Why you smug little." she grunts as she tries to punch Jake with all her strength using her armoured fist. At the last second before hitting him, Jake brings his forearms up to block Rin's fist from hitting his head, the force of her punch sends him sliding back a few metres, but he stayed on his feet.

"Damn... that one actually stung a little." Jake mutters, shaking off his forearms a little after feeling the force of Rin's punch.

"Ha, then this is gonna sting a lot!" Rin says as she charges at Jake again for another punch. This time though, Jake was ready to counter her, and right before she land her fist on him, Jackson ducks and weaves under her, grabbing her hand with both of his he uses his momentum to twist and flip Rin over him. Her body hits the floor and she is left stunned by Jakes counter move. As she lies there dazed and seeing stars around her, Jackson leans forward to rest his hands on his knees and lets off a small sigh of relief after believing that he had finally managed to cease Rin's attempt to murder him.

"(Sigh) I apologies for doing that Rin. But don't say I didn't try and warm you." He said modestly to the girl lying on the floor, then goes to pick up his hat which had been knocked off by his fall earlier. As he puts his hat back on he begins to make his way to the locker room exit to head back to his room... However when he turns his back on Rin... he soon finds that to be a terrible mistake he hears her quickly getting back up from the floor.

"I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU YET!" She shouts as she picks up her blade again. And when Jake turns back around to see her, his eye widens in shock.

"DIIIIIIIEEEEE PERVERT!" Rin screams as she throws the weapon straight at Jackson, the only words coming from him in his time to react were.

"Oh shit... NOT AGAIN!"

* * *

"So you can repair an maintain Jake's IS by yourself so he can keep focused on fighting?" Ichika said as he lied on his bed, he'd been taking to Tohka since Jake had left the room to get his hat, taking the time to learn a few more things about her and the tasks she carries out as the second pilot of his IS. And although he wasn't sure of the idea of being left with this hologram of the (Storm Ghost), but he soon managed to calm down after he realised that she was only teasing him with that whole _Acting Saucy_ thing earlier to mess with him... besides... what could a hologram do to a person anyway.

"Yep, that's one of the things I can do for him." The hologram said, sitting on the edge of Jakes bed she looks up at the clock on the wall and squints her face after noticing the time.

"Hmmmm, I wonder what's taking JJ so long?" Tohka said out of curiosity to Ichika as they sat in the room waiting from him to come back. Ichika looks at the clock on the wall and was a little surprised himself by how long his roommate was gone. It had been at least a good twenty five minutes since Jake left the room to go get his hat, and knowing how long it takes himself to go to the locker rooms... He knew that should have at the very latest he should have been back by now. And with no logical answer to the question asked, he just shrugs his shoulders at the hologram sitting on the bed opposite him.

"Beats me? Maybe he managed to get lost?" Ichika asks, but Tohka just shakes her head at this.

"Na, it's unlikely... JJ's actually really good at finding his way around places pretty quickly." Tohka said. The holographic variant of the (Storm Ghost) IS rubs the back of her neck as she herself tries to think of what it could be that's keeping her pilot from getting back... Then a thought pops up in her memory processor that could only make her sigh a little. "My guess... He got distracted again."

After hearing that, Ichika raises a brow at the hologram and asked out of curiosity.

"Distracted? What do you mean by that."

Tohka gives the young boy a light chuckle of amusement.

"I thought you'd react like that, seeing that you've only seen Jake when he's in what I like to call his, focus mode. Let me explain this Ichika... You see, as hard as it is to believe by just looking at him, Jackson is indeed a very intelligent and sharp minded boy... I mean if he wasn't then he wouldn't be capable of piloting (Storm Ghost) as well as he does today. However... sometimes... when he isn't on any sort of assignments or tasks... his mind can wonder away from him, and to be honest... I wouldn't be surprised if he has managed to let himself get into some kinda awkward situation."

Ichika was a little surprised to hear something like that about Jake... He didn't think about the possibility of Jake letting his mind get him into an awkward situation... but then again, he did remember him saying that it was the curiosity of his wondering mind that got him held at gun point when he was caught back at Compound (trident). But before he was about to say anything else, he suddenly began to hear the sound of fast paced footsteps from down the hallway.

"Huh" He says as he peers round the corner to look at the door and listen as the footsteps seemed to be getting progressively louder at a rapid pace... As if someone was sprinting down the hall. That was when he hears a voice crying out in the distance... A voice he wasn't expecting to here.

 _Is that... Jackson's voice?_

His suspicions were soon confirmed when Jake came crashing through the door crying out as if he'd seen a ghost. Slamming the door behind him, Jake presses his back to the door, breathing heavily from his exhaustion... He had just sprinted from the arena locker rooms as fast as his legs could humanly take him after what had just happened to him back there, but he was pretty sure that he wasn't safe yet unless he barricaded this door with something. Ichika looks at him with a surprised expression.

"JJ... What's up with you?" He asks, but Jake just looks at him with a terrified look plastered to his face.

"Quick Ich... block the door before it's too late." Jake said as seriously as he could. Ichika just stares at him for a few seconds, completely taken by surprise from his behaviour.

 _What did he say?_

That thought was at the fore front of his mind right now, but before he could ask Jake why they needed to block the door. Ichika body jolts back in shock when a sudden loud crash was heard as Rin, who at this point was standing outside their room after she had managed to track down Jake, Punches the door with the iron fist of her IS's partial deployment mode. The door is almost ripped clean off its hinges as it's forced wide open, and swats Jackson like a kicked ragdoll, and Ichika watches as his roommate is sent crashing into the wall on the other side of the room and narrowly avoids smashing through the bedroom window. As Jakes body collapses into a tangled heap on the floor, Ichika looks back to where Tohka had been sitting and was slightly relived to see that she had played a safe move and disappeared for the moment to make sure she wasn't spotted by whoever it was that smashed through his door. He peers round the corner to see a very angry looking Rin standing outside the room.

"Rin! What's going on here?" He said as he tried to get some answers on what was happening just now, but it seemed that his childhood friend was completely ignoring him as she walks into the room whilst brandishing her iron fist at Jake, calling his name out in fury.

"JACKSAAAAAAAAAAAN!" She Screams as she lunges forward with another punch.

"RIN! NOT IN THE ROOM!" Ichika shouted as he tries to tell her not to fight in the dorm room, but she continues to ignore him as she drives her fist towards the boy who was still on the floor... but what happened next was a shock for both Rin and Ichika.

"Oh no you don't" Jake said as he spots Rin's attempt to hit him, he quickly twisted his body into some kinda freaky breakdance move, spinning his legs he brings his foot round and strikes Rin's hand, forcing her to stumble past him and fall to the floor. Ichika then watched as Jake springs himself back to his feet and immediately grabs his IS unit from the data platform on the desk, the black eyepatch glows bright white as he activates his partial deployment mode as well. The light quickly wraps its way around Jakes left arm and the familiar Jet Black steel and C.N.T Muscle Fibre that made Jakes IS emerges. Rin gets back up from being knocked over by him, and the two of them drive their fists at one another as hard as they could. Ichika feels like an impending fight was about to start and instinctively dives over his bed to hide from being caught up in this.

CLANG!

From the other side of the bed, Ichika heard the sound of metal clashing again itself rang out through the entire room as he assumes that Jake and Rin had just struck each other, and he prepares to hear the punches and kicks that would soon follow, as well as having to deal with his room getting torn apart once again... but after a few seconds passed by, Ichika noticed something unusual... After hearing that first hit... It had suddenly just gone quiet after that. Wanting to know what had happened, he peers ever so slightly over the top of his bed... And was surprised by what he saw.

Jake and Rin were standing a few feet away from each other, glaring at each other through gritted teeth as it had seemed that Jackson had caught Rin's punch with his own steel fist. She lets off a small grunt and pushed against his grip, but wasn't able to make him budge due to their relatively equal strength.

"Damnit, Let go of my hand, Jake." Rin snapped.

"No flippin way girl... I know you'll just try and hit me again." Jake said in return, holding tightly to Rin's fist to stop her from using her full partial deployment to punch him again. She grits her teeth at the boy in front of her, clearly angered by him. And noticing this, Ichika quickly approaches the two of them to try and prevent them for brawling it out in the room.

"Okay you guys, I don't know what's going on right now. But I don't trying to kill each other will solve it... so lets just put away the IS's... and relax, okay." Ichika calmly said as he talks to both his friends in an attempt to calm them down and ease any tension in the room. At first, Rin was a little stubborn to budge from her stance, however she soon lightens up a tiny bit when she felt Jackson's hand slowly move away from hers as he commits to calming down first in hopes that Rin won't try a cheap shot or something. Whilst keeping one another locked in their sights, the two teenagers gently lower their arms and the Flame Pink and Jet Black steel of both (Storm Ghost) and (Shenlong) turn to light energy as they deactivate their IS's, Rin's black and pink bracelet reappears on her wrist and Jackson's eyepatch is reconstructed in the palm of his hand. Ichika lets off a little sigh of relief after believing that he finally got the two of them to cool off (especially Rin), and then looked at Jake. He let off a breath of relief himself after seeing that his friend had seemed to get the girl in front of him to stop her intentions of killing him... for now at least. Jackson then looks down at his IS sitting in his hand, tilting his head down so that neither Ichika or Rin could see his face he pulls off the white medical eyepatch that he had been wearing this whole time and returns (Storm Ghost) to her rightful place round his head, before he turns his attention to the others.

"Everyone cool now." Ichika asks the two of them, who straight away turn to look at him with a questionable expression on their faces. their stares send a chill down Ichika's back as he assumes that their was still some unsettled terms regarding them. Jake and Rin then look at each other for a second, and then to both Rin and Ichika's surprise... Jake holds a hand out to her.

"What's that for?" Rin said to him, clearly a little confused by what Jakes intentions were, but he soon answers her with a serious tone.

"As much as how annoyed I am that you nearly killed me earlier on... I'm in no place to play the innocent one either Rin, so how's this... As I said many times before while you were chasing me, I'm terribly sorry for that incident that occurred earlier... And if you would please shake hands with me, we can call this whole problem to an end... I will make sure nothing like that happens again, and you stop trying to kill me... Deal?"

Rin looks at Jake's hand... and sighs again as she decided that his offer was probably the best thing, and their was no way she was going to let Ichika know about what happened back at the locker room.

"Fine then..." She said as takes Jacksons hand in her and shakes mutually with him. "Just make sure you stick to your end of this... Okay"

Jake nods at her, and after finally sorting out this issue he sits back down on the end of his bed, feeling exhausted from all the running and dodging he'd been doing for who knows how long. Ichika had a few words with Rin himself regarding whether she was okay, but as usual for for her, she just shuns him off (Nothing wrong with her in that case) and with pretty much nothing else to do, Rin decided to take her leave and head back to her room. After she closes the door behind her, Ichika turns his attention to Jake.

"Do I really wanna ask what the heck happened back there?" He said in a half serious tone to Jake, who just shakes his head at him whilst he still stares at the ceiling.

"Trust me... We would probably both be in for a world of hurt if you knew what happened." Jake bluntly replies through a deep breath, and Ichika thought it would be a good idea to leave it at that. Just then, Tohka reappears again after shutting off her holo-projectors to stop Rin from seeing her. The hologram walks up to Jake and she leans over to peer at the young boys tired face, then smirks at him.

"I knew you would end up doing something like this again JJ." She giggles at him, and Jake heaves his body up right to stare at his A.I.

 _She's always gotta troll me doesn't she?_

"Hey... That wasn't my fault..." He said to her, only to receive a grin from Tohka. Jake then picks his hat off of his head, and after looking at it for a moment, he was able to find a smile himself. "But hey... I got my lucky hat back... so it's all good now"

Tohka and even Ichika couldn't help but laugh a little at him for that... Jake had to be the only person either of them knew who would go through something like that for a hat like his.

"Seriously JJ... Some day that hat of yours luck is gonna run out, just pray it doesn't happen here." Tohka said humorously to Jackson as she leans against the desk again. By now it would have been a good time to call it a night, but as Jake and Ichika think about sleep.

Clack!

"Eh…"

The sound registered in Ichika and Jackson's brain as they realized that the door had been opened again.

"Oh by the way, Ichika. I hope you haven't forgotten tha-" At that second, Rin had walked back into their room to remind Ichika that tomorrow he was going to be her partner for voluntary combat training... But is cut off mid sentence when she finally noticed the girl leaning against Ichika's desk. And when she does, her jaw nearly hits the floor. Jake and Ichika both look round the corner to see her and instantly feel a pang of fear shoot through their bodies when they realise that this wasn't a hallucination of any sort... Rin had seen Tohka... And they were pretty sure they were sharing the exact same thought

 _Are you Freaking Kidding me now!_

In an attempt to stop Rin from jumping to the wrong conclusion, Ichika quickly got up from his bed and pulls out that same old line he's used in situations like this before.

"Rin... This isn't what you might think it is. I can explain." He said... However, it just seemed that his words just went straight through her and her face begins to burn up with anger again.

"Explain! You had another girl hiding in here when I was in earlier... YOU CREEP!" She shouts, and before Ichika could say anything to her in defence... Rin lauches himself at him in a leathal flying kick in an attempt to knock the boy out... and she did... Well... not the one she was aiming for however. As she flies towards Ichika, he instinctively dives out of her way with less than a second to spare, and as Rin shoots past... She accidentally plants her foot straight into Jackson's sternum as he had not time to react to that. The force of her kick sends him flying back and smashes his body into the wall behind him. Jake groans in pain as he clench's his chest tightly in his arms, gasping for breath as Rin's kick had pretty much completely winded him.

"Oops, I missed him." Rin muttered to herself as she looks at Jake lying on the floor, then that was when Tohka, who was shocked at what she saw dashes towards Jackson.

"Boss! Are you alright." she cried out as she kneels beside that curled up boy. Rin's mind processes what she just heard this girl call Jake... And that's when she finds herself left dumbstruck herself.

"Wait... Did you just call him... Boss?" She asked in confusion. And just then, Rin sees Jake's hand grab the side of the bed as he clawed himself back up from the floor and glared at her for kicking him.

"So much for that whole, not trying to kill me anymore Rin." He was just barely able to wheeze out in short breath.


	11. Party Plans

**Hi there everyone.**

 **I'd just like to take this moment as an opportunity to say thank you to each and everyone who has taken the time out of your day to read my story, I'm super grateful for this and I'm so pleased with how well the story is doing now. And for those who took the extra time to leave me a review and let me know what you really thought of the story, I thank you humbly, your reviews have driven me to continue doing my upmost best to write this story to the best of my abilities.**

 **Now this next chapter is part of a two part because I did have a little trouble fitting the whole chapter into a reasonable number of words. So the second half will be posted two weeks after this one, but after that I'm going to try and get back into the schedule of posting one new chapter per month as they take me quite a while to write out given that they are usually 5,000 words minimum.**

 **Anyway, that's enough jibber jabber from me. So please enjoy this next segment to my story**

 **Chapter 11: Party Plans**

 **One Week Later**

* * *

It was early in the morning and Ichika was walking through the corridor to head for his class before the final toll rings. He was accompanied by both Cecilia and Charlotte who had caught up with him after breakfast earlier on and the three of them were enjoying a little laugh as they engaged in light conversation to pass the time. Although... despite their rather cheerful tone, Ichika was wondering how Jackson was doing at this point... Ever since whatever happened between him and Rin nearly a week ago, he seemed to have been on edge a little more, and seemed to not only try his best to stay out of any conversations that involved her, but was also checking over his shoulder quite a lot. It didn't take long for Ichika to pick up on his sudden change in behaviour and had asked him whether or not he was okay, but every time he did it just seemed like Jake was not in that much of a talking mood.

"So what's our friend Jackson up to just now?" Ichika hears Cecilia say outside his thoughts, asking him where his roommate had gone off to. He knew that they were somewhat aware that Jake had been going off to do his own thing lately, but they never really bothered asking anything about it until now really when they noticed a few days ago that he was just sitting on his own for his breakfast and wasn't trying to really make any sort of eye contact with anyone round him.

"He's been a bit quiet lately... Is he feeling okay Ichika?" Charlotte asked as well out of curiosity. She was probably the most aware out of all the girls of Jakes change of attitude because the next morning after she bumped into him whilst he was going to the locker rooms to retrieve his hat, she saw that he was a little uneasy herself and wondered if the young boy was fine.

"Oh... Urrrrr. I'm not sure what's up with him lately you guys. He has been a little quieter, but I haven't had much of a chance to ask him what's up." Said Ichika as he shrugs his shoulders at the two girls, both of them giving him a questionable look as they both thought that he would know considering that he spends the most time around Jackson than any of them... Or so it seemed, as Ichika hadn't told any of his friends that lately, Jake had been getting up a little earlier than usual and by the time Ichika had woken up, his roommate was already gone. He wasn't sure of what he does in the time that no one saw him, but whatever it was, he just assumed it was important.

Although... in total honesty, Ichika was a little surprised that Jake was still walking these last few days, and wasn't put into the infirmary by that kick Rin had given him. Had she hit him instead, he was sure she could have broken a couple of his ribs with that kick... But Jake... Although it did look like that he was stung by her, he only came out with some bruising to his chest and that was about it... dude had a pretty tough body to say the least. No one else had heard about Tohka yet as Ichika had pleaded Rin not to say anything just yet, and after getting up from the floor Jackson had then explained to her not only who Tohka actually was, but that he was also going to show her to the others when he found an appropriate time to do so. After that though, there hadn't been that much in general that happened, and on that thought the three of them make it to their class and take there seats and wait for class to start. As the minutes pass by more of the class students enter one by one, then just before the toll rings Ichika sees Jake walk into the room swiftly followed by Miss. Orimura and Yamada sensei.

As Jake passes Ichika, he gives him a small smile and tips his hat to him to quietly say hello as he walks behind him and sits in his seat. Surprising Ichika a little as he wasn't expecting that.

"Is he in a better mood now?" He thought to himself as he turns his attention back to the class.

Lessons go on as usual without any real issues... other than Ichika struggling to keep up with the learning pace of the rest of the class, and the bell tolls to signal that it was lunch break time. As most of the class leaves to stretch their legs, Ichika looks back to see that Jake was still sitting at his desk with his fingers entwined, his head looking down at his desk as if he was deep in thought of something, so he decided to approach him.

"Hey Jake... you good?" Ichika asked, and Jake quickly turns to look at him, as if his voice had snapped him out of some kind of day dream.

"Yeah." He yawns as he stretches his arms out before getting up from his desk. "I'm good..."

Ichika was a little unsure of that answer.

"You sure?"

"Huh... Yeah, why you asking?" Jake said, sounding pretty confused by what Ichika was asking.

"Well... It was just that ever since last week, both me and my friends noticed that you were acting a little quieter than before... We were just wondering if you were okay?" Ichika said as he explained the situation to Jake, and when he realises that they had spotted this behaviour in him. Jake sighs a little at him.

"Don't worry about it Ich... I know I was a little edgy the last few days, but don't worry bout it. I'm better now." He said whilst smiling at Ichika.

"Really... So was it whatever happened between you and Rin that had you on edge, because I wouldn't blame you for that... Given her temper." Ichika said, giving a light chuckle at the end of his sentence, which gained a small chuckle from Jake as well.

"Well... Let's just say that something that happened that day had me thinking for a while... But lets just leave it at that." Jake said as he turns to gaze out the class room window. He was right... Something had been putting him in a state of awareness lately... but it wasn't what Ichika thought it was, it wasn't whatever he thought happened between him and Rin... It was that gruesome sight he saw when that figure confronted him. Jake holds back any urge to shudder as he remembers seeing those words that were carved into that persons flesh and the ghostly whispers it sent to him in the breeze. He had been constantly checking over his shoulder when outside the buildings, trying to avoid going out at night time and even staying by himself in one of the hangers at the arena to work on his IS in order to try and take his mind off what he saw... Because admittedly... that wasn't the first time he had seen that person before. But it had been so long since that last time he ever saw that figure, he presumed that it was dead... Seeing it again after all this time had spooked Jake.

He didn't think about it for too long though as he turns to look at Ichika just to see Houki come up from behind him and loop her arm in his.

"Huh!" Ichika jolts as he didn't see her do that.

"You coming to lunch or not Ichika?" She said to him, although it seemed her tone was more demanding rather than questioning, She then glanced over at Jake before giving him a small smile herself.

"You don't mind me taking him for now, Jake?" She asks in a jokey tone to him, gaining a chuckle from the boy.

"Sure, it's no problem... You two go just now, I'll join you and the others for lunch in a bit." Said Jake, and pretty much right after saying that, Houki pulls Ichika along with her to the cafeteria before he even had a chance to say _See ya later_ to him. As they leave the classroom, Jake couldn't help but smile to himself after seeing Houki in a good mood. It hadn't all been bad this week, pretty much the very morning after talking to Ichika about the Gospel project being shut down, he had gone straight to Houki to tell her what he'd learned from Jake. It was a tremendous relief for her to hear that there really wasn't another one out there for them to worry about. She had said her thank yous to Jake after telling Ichika and soon enough the rest of the girls found out from Houki and they could feel a lot more relaxed than they'd been before. And after they were also informed that Jake was ultimately the reason for preventing another Gospel from being built after he had made that contract to stop any companies or organisations outside of FEISAR from conducting any form of research on his IS, it had worked in his favour for making him seem more of a better person for them to be around.

As Jake thought about that, Chifuyu, who had still been standing at her usual spot at the front of the classroom decided to approach him just now as she had something she needed to ask the young boy.

"Jackson." She said to him formally as she stops next to him. Jake turns to look at his superior.

"Miss. Orimura." He replies in a formal tone of his own, tipping his hat at her in polite manner.

"How are you feeling?" Chifuyu said to him. She had taken this opportunity to ask Jake that question since it was now just the two of them in the classroom.

"Better than I was earlier... thanks for taking the time to talk to me." Jake replied. He hadn't told Ichika this, but not too long ago this morning, Chifuyu had confronted Jackson as she had picked up on his recent state of paranoia. However... Jake hadn't told her exactly what it was he saw that night, and said that he thought an unknown individual was walking round the academy for an unknown reason, like they were spying on the academy. But Chifuyu was quick to calm his nerves after that, and although she knew that the academy being infiltrated wasn't exactly impossible to happen (Even though she hated admitting that), she informed Jake that under her watch no one and nothing was going to get into this campus unwelcomed. She convinced him that whatever he saw was a trick of his mind in the dark. But most importantly, she stopped this thought from getting in the way of his progress at the academy... As he thinks about the way she spoke to him, Jake couldn't help but smile. He had always admired Chifuyu Orimura for her reputation she gained back when she piloted the IS as well as her stature as a stern yet respectable woman... but it was more than that to him. There was another side to this seemingly tough woman, a slightly softer and more caring side to her that he believed that only those close to her, or those she trusted could see, and to him, being either one of those people to her was a true honour to him.

"I'm glad to hear that... However I came to ask you more than just how you were feeling... FEISAR's been in contact this morning... They informed me that a shipment in your name is going to be arriving here in the early hours of tomorrow morning... Is there something you forgot to mention?" Her voice carried a questioning tone in it, and she folded her arms at Jackson as she shows that this little call she'd been given earlier this morning had annoyed her by not knowing sooner.

 _Well... there goes the soft caring side of her again._

"Ah... Yeah... That." Jackson said, rubbing the back of his head as he finds out that she had found out about that shipment before he had a chance to tell her. "That's actually why I just told Ichika that I'd catch him later for lunch Ma'am. I was just about to inform you myself... Yes, there is a shipment that is going to be arriving at about 05:30am tomorrow, it's a crucial supply that my IS requires and I needed to ask you if a dock at the academies port could be secured because it's going to be coming in by sea."

Chifuyu looked at Jake for a second and raises a brow at him.

"Crucial supply... Dock space at the port. What's this about Jackson?"

"It's the ammunition for (Storm Ghosts) High. Velocity. Railgun... I know this will sound silly to you, but for the sake of safety, when that weapon and its ammo are never sent at the same time."

"How so?"

"Those rounds for my IS's cannon are specially made for it and it only fires that specific rounds, its a powerful piece of tech and because of that, they are extremely valuable and that makes both the rounds and the cannon a target for outside organisations... To prevent any attempts made to steal them, the Cannon and the specific ammo never travel together. Because of that, FEISAR has had to wait until I had arrived at the academy with the weapon before they sent the second half of the shipment."

"Hmmm, It makes some sense in a way... But to me it's still going to be a pain in my ass to get this sorted under such short notice." Chifuyu huffs at Jackson as she pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration as she thinks of all the extra work she was going to have to do now in order to make sure a dock space is vacant for this shipment of Jakes when it gets to the academy. On that though, she lets off a sigh as she looks at Jake again.

"Alright... I'll make the necessary arrangements required for this shipment." She said, and Jake gives the woman a grateful smile.

"Thank you very much Miss. Orimura... And I do apologies for any of the inconveniences that this might have caused for you." Jackson said in gratitude, taking off his hat he bows towards her to show his modesty. However... he was quickly caught off guard by the sudden pain rushing through him when Chifuyu drives her fist into the top of his head. He scrunches up his face as he stifles a grunt of discomfort and clutches the top of his head with one hand, the force of that hit nearly sent him into the floor. As he straightens back up he looks at Chifuyu to see a small grin tugging at the corner of her lips.

"Apology accepted... But next time you have something important coming here... Make sure you inform me straight away, and don't leave it to the last minute. Got it Jackson." Chifuyu said in her usual tone, and Jake nods slightly at her to signal that he understood. Believing her business here was done, Chifuyu turned to walk away and deal with the rest of her daily tasks, then that's when she hears Jackson chuckle from behind her.

"Looks like that Iron fist of yours hasn't softened up at all." He said brightly, and as he does, Chifuyu stops at the classroom door. Jakes words flow through her head as memories of the past started to rise again. It had been a long time since she had crossed her path with Jacksons, but deep down she knew that he hadn't forgotten anything about that time, nor had his respect for her subsided. She looked back over her shoulder to see Jake smiling at her, and she couldn't help but give him one as well.

"And neither has that thick skull of yours." She chided in her own little come back at Jake, gaining another humours laugh from the young boy.

"Anyway, you enjoy the rest of your lunch, Jackson... And I'll see you back at class." She says to him, before finally walking out of the door to attend to her duties. Jake puts his hat back on, then looks at his watch and after noticing the time, decided that he would see if he could catch up with Ichika and his friends for lunch.

* * *

 **At the cafeteria**

Ichika Stands at the end of the lunch queue as he waits to be served, Houki was standing further down the queue in front of him and the rest of the girls were already sitting at the table waiting for them to show up. As he stands there minding his own business, Ichika was suddenly caught off his guard when a pair of silky smooth hands slide over his eyes.

"Huh!" He stuttered as his vision is quickly blacked out, he wasn't sure who it was behind him that was doing this... But he was sure as it couldn't be any of his friends as they were all in front of him, and no way in hell it was Jackson... not with hands this soft. That was when a light giggle slips past Ichika's ears.

"Guess who Ichy-kun." The soft quirky voice flows through his head... and within moments, Ichika recognises that voice, but was shocked that he was hearing it.

"T-T-Tatenashi!" He stutters out, and just like that, the hands blinding him slip off allowing him to turn round, and his eyes widened when he sees that it was indeed Tatenashi Sarashiki standing behind him, looking lively as ever.

"Good guess, Ichika... but then again, how could you forget a girl like me." She said through a beaming smile. Ichika swallows dryly at her... She was right, how could he have forgotten a girl like Tatenashi... the girl who put him through what could only be described as some of his most embarrassing moments... the one girl in the entire academy that had the power and leverage to wrap him around her finger for fun... And who he still believes to this day was by far a more dangerous girl to him than most of his friends combined. As he looked at her, a confused expression grew on his face when a question pops into his head... A question he needed Tatenashi to answer.

"W-What are you doing here?... You graduated from the academy at the end of last semester. I knew your sister was still attending this year. But you being here is a shock... How?" He said to her. He knew that Tatenashi had left at the end of last years course and was supposed to head back to Russia... But now... It seemed that for some reason, this wasn't going to be happening. Tatenashi laughs brightly at him.

"Thought you had seen the last of me huh, well... it looks like your luck has changed Ichy-Kun." Tatenashi said as she gives him a playful wink. Her words sunk into Ichika head and he gulps.

 _Yeah... changed for the worst._

He knew that nothing good could come from this now, and from here on out he was going to have to keep his head on a swivel... Knowing Tatenashi... Not even god himself would be able to predict what plans this girl would most definitely have in store him. And now that he thought about that, he quickly realised that it would be wise to alert Jackson of this girl as soon as possible before she could find a way to victimise him as well. As he thought about that, he reached the end of the queue and got his food before turning to see Houki standing there waiting for him with a small smile on her face.

"Took you long enough... hurry up Ichika, the rest of us are waiting." She said to him.

"Okay just comi-" Suddenly Ichika is cut off when Tatenashi pushes past him, almost making him drop his tray as she confronts Houki with a smile.

"Hey there, Shinonono. Great to see you again." Tatenashi said with a smile to greet Houki, but the second that she recognises the blue haired girl... Houki gasped in shock and nearly drops her tray in the process, completely unprepared for the fact that she was seeing her again. Behind her at the table, the rest of the girls seemed to have the same reaction after seeing Tatenashi again.

"Oh dear lord." Cecilia stuttered. "Not her again."

"Wait... Didn't Tatenashi graduate last year?" This time it was Charlotte. "What is she still doing here at the academy?"

Rin was the next one to speak.

"Who cares about that! We all know what is the more important issue at hand." She said, almost chewing through her chopsticks out of frustration.

"Agreed. We all know how much of a problem she became for us when we tried spending time around Ichika. We need a battle plan this time." Laura said folding her arms, and the other four nodded in agreement. It wasn't like any of them hated Tatenashi though, it was just more out of the fact that whenever they tried to get close to Ichika... she just had a habit of getting in the way, and with her position as Student Council President there was very little they could do to stop her. With that in mind they pondered what should be done to make sure that this time round she wasn't going get in their way as much. Then an idea pops up in Cecilia's head.

"Well... We do have our new friend Mr. Jackson, maybe we can steer Tatenashi's attention more towards him instead." She said, and almost instantly gains a stunned look from the rest of the girls.

"That sounds more like we would be just throwing him under the bus with that idea." Said Charlotte, in all honesty a little surprised by what she heard the blonde British girl say. In a way, she could understand where that idea could have come from, after all Jackson was the only other male in the academy, so maybe introducing him to Tatenashi could possibly take her attention off Ichika... But at the same time, she knew that Jackson hasn't even met her yet. And knowing what Tatenashi is capable of, it just seemed totally unfair to set her on him like that. Charlotte's thoughts were then stopped when she hears Rin speak up.

"Yeah, I agree with Charlotte... I mean... Jackson is a tough guy to say the least, but I don't think that even he is prepared for someone as unpredictable as Tatenashi." She said. And finally it was Laura's turn.

"That is correct, Mr. Jackson doesn't even know about her. But I'm sure he will see her soon enough, so I think we don't need to do anything... Maybe out of fairness, if we get a chance... We warn him of her capabilities." She said, and this time she was the one to receive the strange look of the group.

"That's a pretty nice thing of you to do to help Jake, Laura... Why?" Cecilia asked the silver haired girl.

"Well... He might be of a different nation, but he is a soldier like me as well... Did none of you spot those white stripes on his Blazer yet?" She said before she continued to eat her meal. The others however just look at each other, confused by what she was talking about.

"Stripes?" they all said in unison. Laura looks back up at them again.

"Those stripes are his Military Ranking. He's a Captain, just like me as well. I know what kind of efforts are required in order to ascertain that rank at such a young age. So out of mutual respect for another soldier, I thought I would give him some intelligence on Tatenashi. After all, knowing your enemies is crucial for a soldier." She said, and the rest of the girls showed a face of understanding. Trust it to Laura's vigilant eye to spot anything that they missed, none of them had noticed those stripes on JJ's Blazer, nor did they know that they meant he was a High Ranked Officer as well. And after hearing her reason to why she would warn Jackson of Tatenashi's capabilities they could understand a little better now. It was about now though when they had to stop their discussion as Ichika, Houki and Tatenashi _Who had swindled her way into joining them_ had just arrived at the table. Scooting along to let them sit down, the girls quickly sober up their current thoughts and plaster a fake expression of joyful surprise on their faces when they see the blue haired girl.

"Oh I dear say... Miss. Sarashiki, What unexpected surprise to see you again." Said Cecilia, acting formal to her to put on a front to hide their recent discussion.

"Yes indeed, But I thought you graduated at the end of the last semester?" Charlotte asked, putting in a question she was more than sure the rest of the table was wanting to hear an answer for. And the blue haired beauty just smiles at them.

"Well... That is true, I should be back in Russia right now... But last year was so much fun, I just couldn't waste the opportunity... And since you guys seem so happy to see me again. I have some great news to share." She said, however the group sitting around her didn't seem to look to pleased with that. There was no doubt that there was one thought in their minds.

"And what would that _Great news_ happen to be?" Asked Rin.

"After having a little talk with my parents, and some negotiation with Miss. Orimura... I've been given the opportunity to take an extra curricular year here at the academy... Which means that I get to spend another year with all of you." Saying this Tatenashi seemed to be in a fit of joy and excitement... However... After hearing what she just said, everyone's eyes shot wide open in disbelief.

"What did she just say...!" Was the instinctive thought flowing through their heads. They thought they'd seen the last of her, that they wouldn't have to worry her little games intervening with them about trying to make their move on Ichika, but now she was sitting right in front of them as if she had never left, and now she was saying that she was going to be attending the academy again for the rest of this year as well.

"Although, I do have one important question though. Are you paired up with someone right now Ichika, or is am I still able to join the running." Tatenashi said smiling brightly at him, and Ichika could see that his friends had a confused expression on their faces... and that's when he realised something... she just asked whether or not he was roomed up with someone, and that could only mean one thing... She doesn't know about Jackson yet.

"Well, I'm sorry Tatenashi... but I'm already settled in with a new roommate." Ichika said, and that seemed to gain a pout of disappointment from the blue haired girl.

"Ahhhhhh really... Oh well, I guess I was too slow off the mark." She said with a fake expression of sadness, but then gives Ichika playful look.

"So then... Who's the lucky lady Ichy-kun?"

After hearing her say that, the group all began to look at each other for a second, the thought _(_ _Yeah She Definitely doesn't know about him yet)_ was in all their head.

"Errrr... Yeah about that." Ichika said, rubbing the back of his head. Tatenashi noticed his change of expression and looked at the rest of the girls, who some were wearing the same face.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Well... you see... thing is Tatenashi..." Charlotte said as she prepared for the blue haired girls reaction after she breaks the news that there was another male in the academy. When her eyes pass by her to see the boy in question walk into the Cafeteria. Seeing him as well, Cecilia discretely points in his direction.

"He's no lady." She said... And instantly, Tatenashi's eyes widen up as she emphasises on the word _He's_ and turns around to look where the blonde girl was pointing, and a smile spreads across her face when she sees the boy standing in line to get his lunch.

"My oh my... another male is here... this just keeps getting better and better." She said eagerly as she started eyeing up the young man, clearly intrigued by his appearance. "How long has he been here?"

"It's been about a week by now." Rin said as she turns to look at Jake herself. "And he's already made quite the example."

"Oh really." Tatenashi smirks mischievously. "Sounds like he could be some fun... So where's he from?"

Houki decided she would answer that question.

"His name is Jake Jackson, he's from the United States... Texas to be more exact."

"A Texan pilot huh." Said Tatenashi, sounding quite interested by that. "I'm not gonna lie... I wasn't expecting that, so what's with the hat?" She said as she looks at the black leather hat Jake was wearing that everyone else had seen on a daily basis.

"Apparently that hat of his is some kinda lucky charm to him." Said Ichika as he turned his sight onto Jake as well. "He hasn't really told us what it is about it that makes it lucky though."

"A lucky charm huh." Said Tatenashi as she continues to watch the boy from a distance. "Well... either way I see it... he looks rather dashing with that hat, and I quite like his uniform... its pretty formal, even for an IS academy one."

She kept Jake in her sight as he minded his own business. Standing in line was Jake was with Honne and a few of her friends, who were all engaging in a conversation of some sort with him. From watching his body language he seemed to be talking to them in quite a charming attitude, this causes Tatenashi to smile a little when she sees that whatever Jackson had just said caused Honne and quite a few of the girls around him to start giggling.

"Hmmmm. He seems to be quite the charmer with the other girls." She said in quite a playful tone.

"He's actually surprisingly easy to talk to... So the others seem to get along with him pretty well." Said Charlotte.

"I have to agree with Charlotte." Cecilia added in. "I must say... Considering that Jake was from the United States, I was expecting him to be more... Uptight, more quiet and cold, that he'd keep himself to himself. But I'm rather surprised myself by how he doesn't seem to have any issues talking to anyone."

"Sounds like you guys seem to be quite fond of him to me." Tatenashi said in a humorous tone, immediately the girls faces start to turn pink from what she was implying to them regarding Jackson.

"D-Don't be stupid... none of us are into him in that way or anything." Rin snapped at the blue haired girl. "He's just... Different from what we were expecting."

"Oh sure... whatever way you wanna put it." Tatenashi giggles, clearly enjoying the reaction she was getting out of the others. Ichika just sighs to himself a little.

"If this is how she's acting five minutes after meeting us again... I'm afraid to think of what she's going to do over the rest of the year." He thought to him himself. And it was about now when his attention was diverted by Jackson calling him out.

"Yo, Ichika..." Jake said as he was walking over to the table carrying his tray of food. "There a spare seat here?"

"Yeah Jake, help yourself." Said Ichika. As Jake puts his tray on the table, Rin and Cecilia scoot along to allow Jake to sit down next to them. Jackson was about to start eating his food, when he felt that he has being stared at intently for some reason. He looks up in front of him and sees that a blue haired girl that he hadn't met before was looking at him with quite a playful smile on her face to say the very least. Feeling a little confused a to why, Jake glances over at Ichika.

"This another one of your friends Ich?" He asked, and Ichika could only give off a faint awkward laugh at this.

"Well... You could say that." Ichika said as he rubs the back of his head. "Jackson this is-."

"Hello Jake." Tatenashi suddenly butted in to cut off Ichika from introducing her and did it herself.

"My name is Tatenashi Sarashiki, and yes... I'm a _very_ good of Ichika-kun. Nice to meet you." Said the blue haired girl as she holds out a hand to shake with Jake, which he respectively took with a smile.

"Nice to meet you Miss. Sarashiki... Jake Jackson." He said as he shook hands with her, feeling that she had quite a surprisingly tight grip of him.

"So... the other have told me that you have quite the impression already... And after only a week, huh." Tatenashi said to him, her tone carrying a hint of impressment to him. Jake raises a brow at that and glances at the other, who had put their heads down to focus on their food, as if they weren't wanting him to find out who it was that said it first. He just gives them a small smirk and turns back to Tatenashi.

"Oh they did, did they... Well that's nice of them to say so... Though I'm surprised I they said that... Considering I've not been going all out yet." He said. And that brought out quite the face of shock from the girls after hearing him say something like that so casually, but Tatenashi on the other hand chuckles a little at Jake. However Ichika had a question for him now.

"Jake... Were you being serious there? You do remember that you beat both Rin and Cecilia in a practice match. Or are you saying that was easy for you as well." He said, only to have two pairs of cutlery thrown in his direction from the two girls.

"Ichika you moron... Don't say that out loud." They both shout at him, but it was too late now. After hearing what he just said, Tatenashi's face lit up as she looks at Jackson again.

"You beat two representatives at once... Oh my, you be quite the hotshot." The blue haired girl says to Jake, then Laura intervenes.

"That is correct. And to be quite honest I was rather surprised myself by the level of skill Mr. Jackson possessed, however after learning of his background training program and a little about his Personal IS... It seems like that match against Rin and Cecilia would have indeed been a rather standard fight for him." She said with her arms folded and looking at Jake with a serious yet respective look in her eye. Tatenashi however was only being encouraged to ask more questions.

"Oh so you've been learning quite a bit about him, well Jake would you care to share a little for me as well... Pretty please." Saying she flutters her eyelashes at him, acting cute as if it would lure the young man into talking.

"No need to go into cute kitten mode just to make me talk. I'm sure I can fill in some gaps here." Jake said smiling at her, before clearing his throat.

"I'm from a Private Security Providing corporation called FEISAR Inc. We specialise in providing high level security for world leaders that come under terrorist threats and are main asset is the fact that we can freely use the IS in an open battle environment, so long as certain guidelines are followed anyway. I'm one of their top Aces from their elite IS Squadron the I-S-X-C-S. And my Personal IS (Storm Ghost) is the company's latest and most powerful IS built."

"Storm Ghost... Sounds like quite the name for an IS. Is it powerful?" Tatenashi asks.

This time it was Charlotte who spoke up.

"Indeed it is... And for an early third generation type IS. Even I have to say that it is quite the machine."

"Yeah, it's some kinda Hybrid multi roll IS that can attack at any range." Rin added in.

"Hybrid?" Tatenashi said, sounding a little confused on that. Jake decided he'd explain that part of his Unit.

"(Storm Ghost) was created using an extremely complex form of genetic algorithm, breaking multiple different types of IS units into binary code data and merging them together to create what we call a Hybrid type IS. By doing this, not only was she an extremely powerful IS, but she could both quickly and easily adapt and change the roll type she could perform if the pilot was to change their style of fighting... However that roll isn't that important to me considering I modified her to fight in all ranges of attack. The thing that sets my IS apart from others, is the level of advanced technology that you would find in more recently developed third generation type units that she has been updated with. And (Storm Ghost) now currently outclasses all specialist class IS's because of this." He said as he gave the blue haired girl a brief explanation of what his IS was.

"Hmmm, that's rather interesting." She said as she rests her head in the palm of her hands.

"Not to mention it's extremely fast as well. Even I had a hard time keeping him locked in my sight during are match." Cecilia said as she complimented on Jakes IS.

"And incredibly manoeuvrable... We were pretty shocked when we saw him pull off a flat spin to counter an attack we were convinced would have hit him." Rin added in.

"Both very impressive levels of performance, but let us not forget that he also possess quite the powerful array of weaponry as well... This IS of his is definitely one to be wary of in the arena." Laura said, giving her opinion on Jakes arsenal. Tatenashi seemed to be quite interested in hearing of this IS of his. And asks a question that just popped into her head.

"So are there more than one of these so called Hybrid IS's at FEISAR? They sound like quite an interesting machine to study."

"I'm afraid not." Jackson answered, shaking his head at her. "The Hybrid Project was closed shortly after due to the immense financial cost to create such an IS, and also due to the fact that only Pilots that possessed an IS compatibility level of Rank: S were capable of piloting such a powerful machine."

Just then Tatenashi's eyes lit up at him.

"You're a Rank: S pilot... Well, what a pleasant surprise... So am I." She said with a grin, and Jake couldn't help but look a little surprised himself.

"You are... Well I'll be dammed, and I thought meeting the only other male IS pilot in the world was rare enough... But another Rank: S as well." He said with a smile to her, the rest of the group looking at each other for a second.

"Are Rank: S pilots that rare of a thing?" Houki asked to two of them, who both look at her and nod their heads.

"They are indeed Houki. Its been said that only one in every fifty thousand IS pilots are classed as a Rank: S... So seeing one in person is quite the treat." Tatenashi Said, and the others all showed the same expression of sheer disbelief on their faces.

"One in every fifty thousand!" they said in unison, and the blue haired girl grins at them.

"That's right, and like I said. It's quite the treat to see one in person... However." Saying this, Tatenashi turns her deep ruby red eyes onto Jackson again.

"Seeing that this Rank: S happens to be a male pilot as well... It's an extremely sweet treat instead." Her voice softens and carried a sense of excitement in it, which Jake picks up on pretty quick and gives her a smirk.

"Are you always this flirtatious with male pilots?" He chuckles. Tatenashi giggled a little at this.

"Every now and again... But it gets a little repetitive when it's just one male here." He said, turning to look up at Ichika as she did so. A slight tense feeling going through him as he feels the stares of the other girls upon him. So he decided to quickly change the subject.

"Ahem... So Jake, you got any other plans for today?"

Jackson thought for a second, but just shakes his head.

"Not that I know of Ich... I've taken care of what I need done and was kinda just gonna wind down in the room for the rest of the day." He said, then Tatenashi spoke up again.

"Well how about we all meet up and spend some time together... All of us, I'd love to do some catching up as well as get to know you as well Jake."

The rest of the girls look at each other, quietly thinking to themselves.

 _What is she planning now?_

Jake on the other hand raises a brow at Tatenashi's proposal.

"You mean like a games night?" He said, and immediately the girls turn to him.

"Games night?" they said, and Jackson leans back in his seat as he thinks of the Idea himself.

"Yeah, its something I did quite a bit with my squad back at base. We would all meet up in the evening and play some cards or something along that line, it was a good way for us to socially bond with each other as well as have a bit of a laugh... And considering Tatenashi is offering everyone to join in, I thought that would be the best idea. If the rest of you aren't too busy later, then I'm not opposed to one. How bout you Ich?" Jackson said. Ichika sat their for a second and thought on JJ's idea and decided that it didn't sound like that bad of a plan, and if it meant that it would give everyone a chance to settle in with having Tatenashi back, then he couldn't complain.

"Yeah... That sounds like a plan. So when are you guys able to show up?" He said as he looks at the other girls, who were a little wide eyed at this idea, as they hadn't done something like this with Ichika yet.

"Well I'm not that busy just now, but I think I'd be able to make it by nine considering I still have kendo practice." said Houki.

"Yeah, and we'd need to get the games to play as well." replied Charlotte.

"I will assist you with that." Said Laura.

"And what about any snacks or refreshments, we might need them to." Cecilia added.

"You know what." Tatenashi said. "if its going to be a late night arrival... why don't we make it a pyjama party as well."

At that moment the girls look at her with surprised eye's

"A what..." They said in unison. And Even Jake and Ichika look at each, both of them wondering if that might be going a little too far for now.

"Errrr, I don't own any Pyjama's... I sleep in boxers." Jake said, pointing out the handicap in Tatenashi's plan. However that just seems to make the smile on her face grow even more.

"Oh that isn't a problem... Boxers would be fine." She casually said, and Jake could pretty much see straight through the blue haired girls eyes to see what she was implying, and smirks a little himself.

"Nice try... But seeing me in just my underwear is going to take more than a few words to do that." He retorts, and Tatenashi seemed to like his comeback as she giggles at him.

"Oh, so you play hard to get huh... That will make it interesting."

"Ahem... You two know we're still here right." Houki said as she cut into their conversation, feeling as if they were getting a little too into the topic of talking about underwear. Jake chuckles a little at the black haired girl.

"Yeah, we're aware of that." He said before he turned back to Tatenashi, but as he did he saw that she was getting up from the table.

"Well, it's been great catching up with you guys. But now I have to go for now, I have some important duties to fulfil and would like to get them sorted before our little party. I'll leave you guys to bring anything you think we will need... And Jake." Saying this Tatenashi looks down at Jackson, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"I will be looking forward to seeing you later as well." She said as she gives him a playful wink before she finally takes her leave and walks off with her empty tray.

"I could say the same thing to you Tatenashi." She suddenly hears Jake call out, and this catches both her and the others by surprise. She turned back around to see Jackson was smiling at her. She returns the smile and continues to walk off.

"Jake Jackson." She quietly giggles to herself, "Looks like you could some real fun."

Now that Tatenashi had left, Jackson turns his attention to the others.

"So... I take it you girls are coming as well?" He said, the girls quickly nod in agreement.

"Yeah, but like I said. It won't be till later because of Kendo practice." Said Houki

"Well, we can use our time from now to get what we need." Charlotte added.

"Good idea, I can take care of the refreshments." Said Rin as she declares her roll in getting the party ready.

"I can get the snacks." Said Cecilia, but the others gave her a strange look as they all hoped that she wasn't planning on cooking any of these snacks.

"And me and Charlotte can retrieve the games that can participate in." Said Laura.

"That sounds like a plan... Me and Ichika will make sure that our room is cleared up if needed and make some adjustments to make sure we have enough room." Said Jackson, and it was about now that he noticed the time on his watch.

"Ah... but before that, I have to go find Miss. Orimura... I have something important that requires her assistance" He said as he gets up from the table himself, remembering that he had to ask for her for the access code for the main gate to reach the academy docks for his crucial delivery that was supposed to be arriving early tomorrow morning. As he was about to go, he turns back to the group and gives them a small smile.

"See you all later at nine guys, and I'll be as quick as I can to get back and help you prepare our room Ich." He said before he finally took his leave. Now with it just being Ichika and the girls left at the table. Charlotte quickly decided that now would be the best time to tell Ichika of something that the others were wanting to say as well but were silenced by both the presence of Jake and Tatenashi.

"Ichika."

"Huh, ur... Yeah Charl?" Ichika said, wondering what she wanted.

"Well, me and some of the others had discussed this before you, Houki and Tatenashi had arrived. And we think that out of complete fairness for Jackson... you should warn him of her abilities." She said to him, but as per usual... Ichika didn't quite seem to get the point of what she was saying.

"Oh I don't think we need to worry about him that much, Tatenashi did basically say right in front of him that she was a Rank: S pilot as well. I'm sure he knows she's a step above most other pilots here in the arena." He said with a chuckle, but then looks at the girls in confusion when they all seemed to face palm themselves.

"No you idiot." Rin snapped at him in anger from his blockheadedness. "We mean her social capabilities."

"Huh?"

"Oh come on now Ichika, surely you haven't forgotten any of the trouble that blue hair devil caused us." Cecilia added, recapping him on some of the more embarrassing moment that the lot of them had been subjected to, like how she once forced him to dress up as a prince and said that any of the girls that could retrieve the crown on his head would have the privilege of sharing his room... and how it just turned in all out war.

"We all know what that girl is able to do when she gets in the mood... And this little games night we're having is a perfect opportunity for her to stir up some trouble. And because Jackson is not aware of this, he's getting a little too comfortable around her too quickly... She might take advantage of this." Said Charlotte, feeling like what she just said has a high chance of happening.

"Agreed... And with her position as Student Council President, there would be very little that he could do to avoid any of the absurd games that she could be planning... So we all agreed that out of logical fairness for Jackson, you should try and find a moment before we all meet up for you to give him some advice about her, as to make sure he is aware of how dangerous she actually is." Laura concluded, arms folded as she looks at Ichika, who at this point had managed to sink what the girls were getting at into the head of his.

"Oh right, I see what you guys mean by... Fine, I can give him a heads up." He said.

For the rest of lunch they carried on talking about other things to pass the time until they were called to class again. The rest of the day was pretty uneventful from there on out. And then the final bell toll came for class to end.

"Okay everyone, that's all for today. I will see you all here tomorrow, until then class dismissed." Chifuyu said, clapping her hands to order the class to pack up for the day. Packing up his books, Ichika was caught off Guard when Jackson comes up behind him and gives him a strong pat on the shoulder, almost making him drop his text books in the process.

"We better hurry up Ichika, we gotta get the room sorted for later." He said as he walks on past him with his rucksack slung over his shoulder, Ichika quickly tries to put all his stuff away and get up to follow him.

"Sure thing JJ, I'll catch up when I'm done packing up." Ichika said whilst picking up his books. Jackson chuckles at him as he carries on ahead without him. He leaves the class and begins to walk down the corridor, casually minding his own business as he heads back for his dorm. He walks through a four way cross section of the corridor, but just then, the light chuckle of a young girl flows past his ears. He stops and turns back around and was a little surprised to be met by a familiar blue haired girl... The same girl he'd been speaking to at lunch.

"Well hello Jake... How nice to run into you here." She said, her mouth was covered by bright blue fan that she was hold, but her tone indicated that she seemed to be pretty happy that she gotten him on his own in the halls. Jake doesn't say anything though, but just stared at the girl and raises a brow at he, asking.

"Errrr... were you waiting here for me since class ended?"

Tatenashi didn't say anything after that, instead she takes a step forward and slowly moved toward Jake. He was still unaware of what she was up to, but then... Completely out of nowhere, Tatenashi spins her body around so fast that Jake was almost caught off guard as she lashes out at him with her fan... almost.

Thanks to Jacksons abnormal reaction time he doesn't have any problem dodging her strike, lunging back, the fan swiftly passes by him, then he counters Tatenashi's attack by grabbing her wrist before she could withdrawal and uses the momentum of her own strike to pull her forward. Tatenashi loses her balance and is forced round Jake as he spins her, next thing she knows she's got her back flat against the wall and Jackson presses his forearm against hers, only a few inches away from her as he held her there. But he didn't seem to look that mad at the fact that this young girl had just tried to hit him.

"What are you doing girl." He asked bluntly. Tatenashi was silent for a second or two as she comes to grips with the fact that she had just been countered so quickly and precisely in such a short fraction of time, but as she looks back into that emerald green eye of Jakes. She smiles brightly at him.

"So... It's true."

"Huh? Jake said, raising a brow at her.

"Only a Rank: S would have been able to dodge something as unexpected as that... But you were able to counter it just as quickly as well... You really are one." Tatenashi said, and it was about now that Jake realised what was going on... She wasn't mindlessly attacking him, she just wanted to find out if he was really the Rank he proclaimed to be... by forcing him to act like someone of that Rank. And the thought of how he'd just been played into doing that for her causes a small smirk to tug at the corner of his lips.

"You didn't believe me the first time?" Jake cackles, acting as if it was dumb of her to think he was lying about that. And Tatenashi grins at him.

"Just testing you waters, Jake... And it appear to me that you passed." She said, Jackson throws her a grin of his own.

"Good to hear that... Although, I hope you didn't mind me being a little rough on the counter." He said, completely aware that he still had her pinned against the wall with one arm. Tatenashi giggles brightly at his remark.

"Oh it's fine. I don't mind you being a little rough with me... Besides" Saying this, Tatenashi leans forward and brings her lips to Jakes ear and softly whispers. "I like it that way."

Being no stranger to lewd sentences, Jackson chuckles to himself. This has had to have been one of the most flirtatious girls he'd met in the entire academy, because he knew what she was implying and couldn't help but answer back. "Well... it always does make it more interesting."

Saying that he released his hold on her and steps back.

"I'll see you later for games night Tatenashi." He said as he tips his hat to say his goodbyes, and she smiles back in response.

"See you later Jake, I look forward to it." She replies and on those words, Jake takes his leave and starts heading back to his room. As he disappears round the corner of the hall, Tatenashi giggles as she thinks about what had just happened between the two of them.

"Looks like this ones got a lot a spunk." She said, fanning herself as she did so... Then a cheeky smirk spreads across her face. "Guess we'll find out how much later tonight."


	12. Pyjama Party

**Chapter 12: The Pyjama Party**

It was later on in the evening by now and both Jackson and Ichika were in their dorm waiting the others to arrive for the games night that they had planned for tonight. Ichika was just casually sitting on the edge of his bed to pass the time while Jackson was in the bathroom brushing his teeth after taking a shower.

"So... you seem to get along pretty well with Tatenashi quite quickly JJ." Ichika said to his roommate as he refers to earlier that day. He heard Jake answer from the bathroom, but his voice was all muffled up by the fact that he still had toothpaste in his mouth.

"What was that man?"

Ichika could hear Jackson from the bathroom as he takes a swig of water from his glass next to the sink and gargles to clear out his throat.

"I said yeah man, she seems to be quite a nice girl." Said Jake as he walked out of the bathroom in his grey tracksuit bottoms and drying his hair with one hand. That's when Ichika spotted something in Jakes free hand that he hadn't noticed yet. It was a thin gold chain that wrapped loosely around his fingers as he held it in his hand, attached to the chain was a locket that had an intricate Victorian pattern etched into the metal.

"What's that JJ? another one of your lucky charms?" Ichika asked, wondering if it was some sort of lucky charm Jake wore in his IS to compensate for not being able to wear his lucky hat when flying or something like that. However to his surprise, Jackson just shakes his head at him, smiling a little as he does so.

"No Ich... It's something far more sentimental to me than that... It's something my family calls the Jackson heart." He said as he looks down at the locket in his hand.

"The Jackson Heart? What's that?" Ichika asks.

"For as long as I can remember, my family have always been busy, Ichika. My farther is an Ex-US Navy Seal who works on training the next generation of Seals that will follow on after him. He spends a lot of time at base training them and comes home maybe one week of the month. My mother was a research developer for IS pilots and has been working since the early days after the IS was announced. Because of that we rarely had time to come together and be a family. My parents could see that this upset me a little bit... so they let me in on a family secret." Saying this Jake brings his hand up and gazed at the locket.

"This locket is one of the Jackson Hearts, a locket made by my grandparents many years ago... each member of the Jackson bloodline is given one, and within it, is a photo of what we hold dearest to us... the other members of our family." As he said this, Jackson presses the locket against his heart. Ichika noticed that his roommates facial expression had shifted slightly as he did that.

"I take it its been a while since you last saw your parents." He said, sounding a little sympathetic for Jake, as he could understand in a way what it would be like to be moved away from your parents when you're as close to them as Jackson seemed to be. Jake takes a deep breath before speaking again.

"Yeah... it has... but I know I'll see the again some day, till then... I carry my Jackson Heart to remind myself that although we're apart, we're always close to each other." Said Jackson as he walked over to his uniform that was neatly hung up for tomorrow and places his locket in the pocket of his shirt for safe keeping.

"By the way Jake... Mind if I asked you something." Asked Ichika.

"Sure, what is it."

"What are your parents like? You seem really close to them." Said Ichika. But Jake looks at the clock to see that it was 20:54pm.

"I think I will tell you about that some other time Ich, the others shouldn't be much longer till they arrive and its a long story." Jake said as he walks over to his bed and lies down to stare up at the ceiling to pass the time. The two of them had made a few changes to make sure there was enough room for the game night, by pushing the beds to the far edge of the rooms to open up some floor space. However one of the biggest things that was Mostly taken care of by Jackson, was making sure that Tohka wasn't going to make an unexpected arrival and sorted this by activating her voice command protocol, meaning that unless Jackson verbally commands her to appear, she couldn't cause any trouble... Something both Jake and Ichika were hoping they could avoid considering all of the girls were going to be coming into the room. A few minutes passed by, when suddenly Ichika remembers something... He still needed to warn Jackson about Tatenashi, and that he only had a couple of minutes at best to do so.

"Errr, by the way Jake... there was something that I needed to tell you about Tatenashi." He said, Jackson turning his head to the side to look at him.

"About her... what do you mean by?"

"Well, me and the others had talked to each other about this... And out of fairness to you... You should be careful around her." Ichika said, but Jake just raises a brow at him.

"Huh, what do you mean by that?" Jake asks, confused as to what Ichika was getting at. However before Ichika could explain any more, the sound of someone knocking at their door cuts him off.

"Hello there Ichika, are you and Jackson in just now." The familiar sound of a blonde British could be heard from outside, and knowing that he now had no time to finish giving JJ his warning, Ichika just quietly murmers to him as he gets up to answer the door.

"Just be careful... She has a habit getting playful."

And on those final words, Ichika left it at that as he walks over to the door to let Cecilia in. He opens the door and Jackson watches from his bed as the blonde girl walks in.

"Hey there Cecilia..." Ichika was about to ask her how she was, but had gotten a little tongue tied when he saw what she was dressed in. Cecilia was wearing a frost white night gown that looked like it was custom fitted for her as it hugged her womanly figure, revealing her bodies natural curves. Ichika finds himself turning away to not make it look like he was being flustered by her, but she just gives him a light chuckle as she walks past him.

"Oh don't worry dear Ichika, its okay to look... After all I picked this gown because I thought you wouldn't mind me using it for our little pyjama party." Said Cecilia.

"I think it suits you pretty well." She hears Jackson say from the other end of the room, his voice slightly startling her as she hadn't noticed him there yet.

"Oh, Jackson... So sorry, I hadn't noticed you were..." Cecilia was cut off when she turns to look at Jake and was met by the sight of him still shirtless and lying on his bed, and now it was Cecilia who was starting to get flustered from seeing his muscular form. Jackson notices this pretty quickly and just smirks a little at her.

"Huh, oh I'm sorry Miss. Alcott... If you want I can put on a shirt if that makes you feel more comfortable being near me." Jackson said as he gets up from his bed to get a shirt, stretching out his arms as he did so, his muscles straining from his movement and showing more definition.

"No, no... Its quite alright." Cecilia said as she suddenly snapped back to reality, still a little shocked from what she saw.

"It's just... you have quite a muscular form for someone of your age... Without you IS academy uniform masking that figure of yours, it was just a bit of a surprise to see what was really hiding under there." She says as she tries to explain the reason she acted that way after seeing him like that. Jake just smiles a little and goes to sit back down on his bed to pass the time.

"Are the others nearly ready as well?" Ichika asked.

"Errrr, I'm not sure, they shouldn't be I think." Said Cecilia as she places a basket on the counter. She had taken her responsibility as the one to bring the snacks for the games night and was getting them prepared as they waited for the others.

"I brought us some light snacks for tonight, I hope that you find them to your tastes." Cecilia said as she removes the contents of her basket. Ichika watched as she brings out a variety of potato chips, mini Swiss rolls, pretzels and boiled candies. All of them looking quite tasty, but then he sees her open the other half of the basket.

"Of course I cant forget to bring over my homemade sandwiches. I made plenty for everyone." She said with a proud smile on her face as she lifts out a plate of sandwiches out of the basket. Ichika on the other hand just swallows dryly in fear as he looks at the potential deathwiches that were placed on the counter. one thought in his mind.

 _Oh no... She actually made them again._

Just then the door is knocked on again, and Ichika opens it to see that it was Rin who was next to show up. She was dressed in a purple pair of pyjama shorts and short sleeve shirt and had brought a selection of soft drinks and fruit juices for everyone.

"I wasn't sure on what to bring over... So I just brought over a mix of everything." She said as she places the bottle on the counter, but then her eyes glance over at the food Cecilia brought over and spots her sandwiches, her eyes widen slightly in shock.

 _Uh oh... The chemical weapons have been deployed_

A few minutes later the rest of the girls turn up, well... except for Tatenashi for some reason. Houki was dressed in her usual pink kimoto style pyjamas, whilst Laura and Charlotte were wearing their white and black cat onesies, which to their surprise Jackson actually complimented for being rather cute. They shared spaces on Ichika and Jacksons bed and were just casually talking to each other while they waited for Tatenashi to arrive.

"I wonder what could be taking Tatenashi so long." Questioned Charlotte as she looks at the time to see that it was 21:12pm by now, the others just shrug their shoulders.

"Huh, leave it to her to be late for something that was her idea in the first place." Rin huffs as she folded her arms, starting to feel bored of waiting.

"Oh I'm sure she'll show up soon, but just now i think I'll just grab a drink." Said Jackson as he gets up from his spot on the bed and walks over to the counter to pour a drink. As he took a sip from his cup, the door opens.

"Hi everyone, sorry I took longer to show up." Said Tatenashi as she walks casually into the room, Jackson turned to greet her, but the second he saw her he almost sprays his drink out of his mouth.

"Whoa." He splutters as he coughs up the last drops of orangeade that were caught in the back of his throat, the others saw his reaction and look at him in confusion.

"What's the matter?" Houki asks, as they were unable to see Tatenashi because she was still round the corner. Jake clears out his throat and answers.

"That's bold."

And as he says this, Tatenashi walks round the corner and everyone was left wide eyed at her. She was wearing a white IS academy shirt with the two buttons at the top left undone to reveal quite an eyeful of cleavage. Underneath her shirt, it was painfully obvious that she wasn't wearing a bra of any sort, but lower down she had a pair of bright blue an white striped panties. Looking at the reaction she got out of the others she just lets out a cheeky giggle.

"What... This is a pyjama party right." She said, completely comfortable with her chosen attire.

"I would hardly call those pyjamas." Rin said. Tatenashi just shrugs off her remark and turns to the boys.

"How about you Ichika-kun, Jackson-san... Would you call these Pyjamas." She giggles as she leans forward at Ichika, revealing even more of her Cleavage.

"Errr, well... I mean, um." He stutters, feeling the intensity of the states coming from the other girls. Jackson, who was still standing behind Tatenashi steps in to save him.

"Eh, I guess you could... After all, if that's what you sleep in then I don't see why you wouldn't call them your Pyjamas." He said.

"Well... the thing is." Tatenashi gives Jake a sly smile as she turns to face him. "This is not what sleep in, but I don't really own any Pyjama's... I sleep naked."

That caught Jake by surprise, and his expression showed it after hearing her say something that bold with so many people in the room. The others were a little jumped by this as well, but the girls had a feeling that knew what she was up to... Trying to get one of the guys worked up by doing what she does best... being lewd.

"Okay... I think that's enough on that subject." Jake said to quickly change the subject.

"Well... Since all of us are here now." Said Ichika as he claps his hands together. "How about we get this games night started."

The girls agreed in unison and then turned to Laura and Charlotte, who were in charge of bringing the games.

"So, what kinda games did you two bring anyway?" Houki asked out of curiosity, Laura and Charlotte bring out the bag they brought with them.

"Well... we didn't have a massive variety of games." Said Charlotte as she digs her hand into the bag. "But I think these should do the trick."

Saying this Laura and Charlotte brings out some old party games such as twister, Ker plunk, Jenga and monopoly.

"Okay... so which one should we start with?" Rin asks.

"How about twister." Ichika suggested.

"Sounds cool... but who's playing the spinner?" Jackson said as he looks at the group. The girls were quiet for a moment, not sure themselves on who to pick, then Jake has a brainwave.

"I know." He said as he curls one hand into a fist and places it in the palm of his other hand. "Ichika, you and me will play rock, paper scissors for it."

"Okay... winner plays spinner." Ichika said as he positions his hand to play.

"Ready."

"Yeah."

"Okay... Rock, Paper Scissors Shoot." The two boys throw out their move, Jackson plays paper, Ichika taking scissors.

"Looks like I'm spinning." Ichika said as he get ups and opens the box to take the spinner. The rest of the girls work on getting the playing mat out and set it up between the two beds, but as they did so, Jackson noticed that Houki seemed to look sort of worried about something.

"Are you okay Houki, you look down." Jackson asked, gaining a faint smile from the girl.

"Huh, oh its nothing... I just think, with these pyjama's... I'm not sure if I can play this game." She said somewhat shyly as she looks down at her attire, Ichika and Jake look at her and soon realise that she was right, her pyjamas would probably make it hard for her to move as well as get in the others way.

"Errr... Houki, would you like to take my place as the spinner?" Ichika asked

"No worries Ich, I got a solution." Said Jackson as he goes over to his wardrobe, the others looking a little confused.

"What do you mean by that?" Said Houki.

"I don't mind you borrowing these to play the game, it would make it easier for you." Saying this Jackson tosses her a pair of his boxers and a blue shirt. Houki looks at the clothes she was given and then at Jake, surprised at how modest he was being.

"A-are you sure." She said, and Jake nods at her.

"Of course, we'll wait for you to get changed, feel free to use the bathroom." Jake said kindly, smiling a little as he did so.

"Okay... Thank you Jackson." Houki said as she walks into the bathroom and closes the door behind her to get changed.

"That was really nice of you to do that for her Jake." Said Charlotte.

"Pfft, its no biggie, I just thought it wouldn't be fair on Miss. Shinonono if she couldn't play because of her clothing getting in the way." Jake kindly said as he closed his wardrobe. A few minutes pass as the group wait for Houki to change.

 _Clack._

The sound of the door handle to the bathroom opens and Houki steps out of the bathroom, but she was somewhat a little shy in doing so.

"Errrr, is this fine." She asked, the others look at her, and were a little stunned to be honest. She was now wearing a red pair of boxers that seemed to fit her rather well, given the way that they hugged her waist and thighs so comfortably. The blue shirt that Jackson had given her wrapped loosely around her waist and her chest is pressed tightly against the top of his shirt, she had tried to button up as much of the shirt as she could but was feeling a little flustered because her bosom was refusing to let her do up the second last button, revealing more of her cleavage than she was wanting. On the shirt was a crimson red rose that had been hand stitched into the fabric, the thorny stem of the flower twisted up the right side of the shirt, the rose head resting at chest level... Jackson glanced at the rose head for a brief second, a little surprised at how well his clothes seemed to fit her.

"It looks perfectly alright." Charlotte said as to try and reassure Houki and make her feel a little more comfortable with what she was wearing.

"Yeah... you suit them, and your chest actually brings out that rose on the shirt." Tatenashi added in, looking at the rose on her shirt that was being pushed out by her breasts. Houki blushed a little at that remark and hugged her chest, as she was more than sure what Tatenashi was implying by saying that.

"Well, how bout we start playing now." Ichika said to bring everyone back on track. They took their places at the edge of the mat and waited for Ichika to flick the spinner and give out the first order to Jake, who was voted first to move.

"Okay Jake, left foot green." He said.

"Got it." And Jake carries out his order. For the next few minutes the game went on pretty well, the girls showed that they were enjoying this quite a bit and seemed to be showing quite the competitive nature to make sure neither of them were the first to fall. However as the game passes the ten minute mark... Things started to get... Complicated.

"Ah... Rin could you please mind yourself, your knee is digging into my waist." Cecilia groans as she struggles to hold her position.

"I can't, Laura's hips were blocking my next move so I had to move my leg over her." Rin replies, struggling to maintain her balance as well.

"I can assure you, I had no other option but to relocate myself to this position in order to continue the game." Laura protests, her body arched back and tightly sandwiched between Rins leg and Houki's back.

"Urgh... I don't know if I can hold myself in this position much longer." Charlotte groans, feeling her arms growing weaker from holding herself up over most of the group.

"Huh, at least you don't have Tatenashi's butt in your face." Said Houki, her voice slightly muffled by the fact that the side of her face was squashed against Tatenashi's backside.

"Hey... My butt isn't that bad." Tatenashi giggles, clearly not that bothered. Ichika looks at his friends who had all in the space of ten minutes had managed to get themselves tangled into a twisted ball of limbs and bodies. It was pretty assuming for him in a way, but then he noticed something.

"Errr guys... where's JJ?"

"Down here." They all here him say as his head is just barely seen, as he had gotten himself stuck at the very bottom of the pile. Looking up he is met by Tatenashi, who smile as she seemed to be pretty happy that they were face to face.

"Oh...Well hello there Jake." She said, her tone carrying a sense of enjoyment in it. Her stomach was pressed against his, one leg wedged between his and her arms either side of him as she holds herself above him.

"Evening." Jake casually replies.

"So Jake... How does it feel to have so many beautiful girls on top of you all at once... Bet it does wonders for your male ego." Tatenashi playfully jokes, deliberately she loosens her position to put a little more weight on Jake, who seemed to be enjoying this a little as well.

"Well... I'm not one to complain about have girls on top of me... but I wasn't expecting it to be like this." Jake chuckles. Tatenashi giggles a little, amused by his remark. The others however... well.

"Oh for god sake you two... Get a room." Cecilia said. And upon hearing this Tatenashi grins at the thought.

"What do ya say Jake... wanna go back to my room after this." She says, her voice becoming ever more suggestive. Jakes face just seems to stay pretty straight regardless of her attempts to seduce him.

"Na I'm good."

"Awwwww." Tatenashi moans in disappointment. Ichika decided to intervene before Tatenashi could get any lewder.

"Okay Charl, your up next." Ichika said as he flicks the spinner. "Right hand green.

Looking down, Charlotte sees an open spot for her to take, however her path was obscured by the rest of the girls. But she tries to go for it, reaching down her hand snakes past them and closes in on her target.

"Almost there." She strains as she nears the dot on the mat, but just as she was about to reach it her hand gets blocked by something firm and warm.

"Huh." She said in confusion, she assumed that it was one of the other girls that she'd touched but was unable to see who it was. "Errr, what am I touching?"

"My inner thigh." She hears from further down the pile... However, the sound of a deep toned voice was heard and instantly, Charlotte's face begins to burn up in embarrassment... She was touching Jake.

"Ahhhhh!" She screams in shock and quickly withdraws her hand, but she moves too fast and loses her balance.

"Gwahh!" The girls cry out as they all come tumbling down. Ichika watches as Jake is crushed by them and disappears under the girls.

"Are you guys alright?" He asked as the girls groaned from the feeling of falling on top of each other.

"I think so." Most of them said as they picked themselves off the floor. Then they look down to see Tatenashi was still on the floor... with Jake still under her.

"Ouch..." A muffled grunt was heard from beneath her body, Tatenashi had her chest squashed against the side of his face and she couldn't help but smile a little.

"Oh dear... sorry about that Jake." She said as she get off of him. However the others noticed something unusual when they look at Jake.

"Erm, Jackson... Is your arm meant to bend that far back." Ichika asks as the look at his right arm. Jackson just shook his head at them.

"No... no it isn't." He groans as he gets up, his arms showing little sign of movement. Charlotte quickly sees what has happened and holds her hands over her mouth and gasps in shock.

"Oh my goodness... He's dislocated his shoulder."

"It must've been the way his arm was positioned when we fell, the weight of our bodies forced his arm too far back and caused that injury." Said Laura, she scans her eye up and down Jakes arm to see if any other injuries were sustained, but it didn't look like there was anything else... However it was clear as day from seeing how swollen Jakes shoulder was that it had been completely dislodged from the joint, but to the groups surprise... he wasn't groaning in pain or anything, he wasn't freaking out from the injury, in fact... he was barely even reacting to it at all, like the pain had no effect on him.

"Jake... Are you okay?" Rin asks, feeling a little shocked on how calm and relaxed the boy was reacting towards his injury and was wondering if it was shock that had him like this. Jackson looks down at his dislocated shoulder and sighs at it in annoyance.

"Yeah I'm good, this isn't that bad." He casually said as he started feeling around his injury with his good hand, the others didn't seem to think the same of the situation.

"Isn't that bad! Your shoulder joint is popped clean out..." Said Ichika, noticing the swelling that was caused by this.

"I think you should go to the infirmary right away Jackson, would you like me to show you the way?" Said Cecilia as she gestures Jackson in the direction of the door. However, he just shakes his head at her.

"There's no need to do that." He said as he walks over to the corner of the bathroom wall, the others completely unsure of what he was doing.

"You seriously aren't telling us that your just gonna leave your arm the way it is are you?" Houki said out of surprise as to why Jake was being so reluctant to go seek some medical treatment. Jackson just ignores her for now and uses his good hand to start knocking on the corner of the wall, feeling whether or not it was a solid surface or a hollow one. By now the others were utterly clueless about what he was planning, but when it sounded like he'd found one of the solid beams behind the wall, he looks back at the others.

"I'd cover your ears if you're a bit squeamish." He said... and before anyone had the chance to ask why, Jake grips his dislocated arm in the other and slammed his shoulder into the wall. The tell-tale sound of his shoulder being forced back into its socket was loud and clear, causing most of the group to shudder from the cringing feeling of doing something like that.

"Geez man... Give us a better warning than that!" Said Ichika, his body tenses up at the thought of what Jake had just done must've felt like. Jackson grips his shoulder in one hand and started rotating his arm around a bit, checking to make sure that he'd pushed it all the way back in place, he clenched his fist and flexes his arm.

"There... That fixed it." He chuckles as he walks back to the others, who were still surprised by how he did that.

"Didn't that hurt?" Tatenashi asks him out of curiosity, the other looking at him as if they wanted to know as well. Jackson just smiles at them.

"Eh, it doesn't bother me, besides... back when I was in training, I got a few injuries like that before, so I just learned to deal with it and my squad members showed me a trick or two on fixing a dislocated joint." He said, then turning to look at his shoulder. "And I've had worse injuries before anyway so don't worry about something as simple as this."

Jake notices that Charlotte was looking down at the ground, and saw that she wasn't looking that glad about this whole ordeal.

"I'm so sorry Jake, this was my fault." She apologies, feeling ultimately responsible for him getting hurt. Jake just sighs a little, as he had a feeling she was going to act like that considering that she was the one that caused the rest to fall.

"You don't have to say your sorry, I don't blame you for that, besides I'm perfectly fine... but if it makes you feel any better, I forgive you if you still feel guilty."

Charlotte looks at Jackson, surprised at how modest and kind hearted he was being to her about the whole thing, but soon a small smile forms on her face.

"Thank you for being so forgiving Jackson."

"Its not a problem... Either way, that was a pretty fun game." He chuckles.

"Either way... you still gave us a shock at first." Said Cecilia.

"True... I could see that. I think maybe we should call it a tie for twister and try something a little less likely to dislocate my other shoulder." Jake chuckles.

"Oh, I think I know just the game... and it should be a little more fun than the other." Tatenashi said as an idea comes to her mind, but as she says this... the others all look at each other.

 _Uh oh... This can't be good._

They thought to themselves, knowing that any game conjured up by that girl was a sure sign for trouble, embarrassment and everything in between to come upon them. Jackson however who wasn't feeling as cautious as the others just looks at the blue haired girl curiously.

"And what kinda game do you have in mind?"

Tatenashi walks over to the counter where the drinks were and picks up an empty cola bottle, turning round she smiles brightly at the others.

"I'm thinking, a nice old classic game of spin the bottle." She said, her voice carrying an eager tone in to it. Jackson didn't seem to have any objections to this... the others however, somewhere deep down in their minds, they all knew this had to be some kind of trap that Tatenashi was plotting... and in honesty, although they didn't see how this game could lead to an injury like the one Jake got from twister, but this game being safer than it... there was just no way that was possible since that blue haired kitten was a part of this, the opportunity for her to put any one of them into an embarrassing position for her amusement was just far too high.

"Yeah, that doesn't sound like a bad idea, what do you guys think?" They all hear Jackson say outside of their thoughts as he asked if they were down for the game, and although they wanted to say that they would rather play another game... they didn't want to make it sound obvious that their was something in the back of their minds warning them of the impending danger, so the girls bite the bullet and decided to play.

"Well, I guess we could give it a shot." Houki said as she is the first to commit.

"Quite right, after all it would be rude to ignore Tatenashi's request to play." said Cecilia.

"True, I don't see that much harm in it." Said Charlotte.

"Agreed." Replies Laura.

"But just to be sure of that, lets try and keep it friendly... After all this is the game spin the bottle we're dealing with." Said Rin, playing a smart move and asking if everyone would at least be reasonable on the orders, but after saying that they noticed a shift in Tatenashi's facial expression.

"Awwww, well there go some of the questions I was wanting to ask Jackson-san." She pouts in disappointment, whereas Jake on the other hand just looks at the her with curiosity glinting in his eye, but at the same time a bit of confusion as well.

"Errrr, what were you planning on wanting to ask me that now you can't?"

"Somethings telling me that for the sake of everyone else's ears Jake... Its best we don't find out." Ichika interrupts them to stop Tatenashi from getting the chance to actually say what she was wanting to ask. Leaving Jake in an even higher state of curiosity now.

"Oh well, that doesn't matter that much, besides... I've thought of a little something that should keep the game just as interesting." Tatenashi said with a cheeky smile on her face, and it was about now when the others (Bar Jackson) were really starting to feel like they'd stepped into something deeper than they were expecting... Anything added into a game by Tatenashi... was bound to bring bad news upon them.

"Interesting...?" They all said in unison, sounding more worried about that idea rather than pleased of it. Jackson picked up on this and folded his arms as he thinks about why the girls seemed to sound a little off put by this, but Tatenashi was eager to share her idea and wastes no time in explaining.

"Well, we all know that there are sometimes those people that feel that they can't do the dare or lie on the truth to cover it up. I suggest that since we're going to keep the questions friendly, we make sure that no one thinks of cheating... by adding a one minute forfeit."

The others look at her for a second, a little confused on what she was implying.

"I'm sorry Tatenashi, but please could you explain in better detail, what is a one minute forfeit?" Charlotte askes, however since Jackson seemed to understand what the blue haired girl was implying and thought he'd fill the girls in on what was going on.

"Basically what she meant was that if any of us fail to do the dare within one minute, or cheat in the truth by lying... Then we have no choice but to do the selected forfeit as punishment." He said as he explains the rule that Tatenashi was wanting to bring in. The girls at each other, then look at Tatenashi.

"And what kinda forfeit did you have in mind?" Rin asked, and a mischievous smile forms on Tatenashi's face.

"If you end up failing, then you have to run from this room, to one end of the hallway and back three times."

The group take a second to think about what she just said, and couldn't help but feel like something was missing from this... running up and down the hallway in their pyjamas didn't really sound that bad of a forfeit, even Jake could probably get away with doing with minimal embarrassment sustained... but this was Tatenashi... things were never that simple, nor were they that safe. As Ichika proves.

"That doesn't sound that bad of a forfeit, I could deal with that." He said, and instantly the girls stare at him with murderous intent when they realise that what he just said could have just been the final nail in the coffin. Then that cheeky smirk on Tatenashi's face grow a little and she wags a finger at him, as if to tell him otherwise.

"Ah ah ah, I'm not finished yet... you have to do the run... in nothing but your underwear."

Her voice was hinting the sense of mischievousness in her idea. And now, even Jackson's eyes widened in surprise of what this girl was wanting those who forfeited to do. He looks back at he door to the room, picturing all the other doors housing the rest of the academy students, and even a slight shudder runs down his back at the thought of what type of overwhelming reaction he would cause if he was caught in that trap.

"You just had to say that didn't you Ich..." He said as he turned to stare at Ichika with a displeased stare. "Don't you know that the second anyone says that... then the situation immediately becomes worse than before."

Ichika doesn't say anything, he just rubs the back of his head and lets off an awkward laugh as he feels the stares of almost everyone in the room baring down upon him.

"You can sit it out if you want JJ... If the forfeit scares you." Tatenashi said, her voice hinting a taunt at Jake, but he just looks at her with a monotone look.

"There's a difference between being scared... and cautiously aware." He retorts, and Tatenashi just grins at him.

"Sounds like the same thing to me." She chuckles. Jackson pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed on frustration.

"Tatenashi... have you ever seen what happens when you throw a baby seal into a shark tank?" He said, and as he does the girls feel a shiver crawl down them at the thought of such a sight. Tatenashi on the other hand just tilts her head at him.

"Can't say I have."

"Well... It's pretty much just as bad for me and Ichika if we so much as step one foot out that door in our boxers." Jackson said, and in a way he was right... of all the things that would bring bad news to him, running in his boxers up and down a hall that housed hundreds of hormone crazed sixteen year old girls... definitely was one of those things. Not even his squad members back at base had managed to get him into something this crazy, and if they found out, then the lewd jokes and references would be never ending... as if they weren't anyway.

"Well that is price that has to be paid if you want to get the chance to see me running up and in my undies Jake... So are you wiling to take the gamble." Tatenashi throws out, giggling as she did. Jake just shook his head, as if taunting him with the tempting sight of a gorgeous blue haired girl in her underwear was going to have any effect on him. He noticed that by now the others were still debating whether or not they should accept the risk of this game, but being him as usual... he never felt like running from a situation. And with that thought at the forefront of his mind, he smiles at Tatenashi.

"Well then, seeing that you seem pretty confident in winning." He said as he rubs his hands together. "Then the only thing I have to say... Is game on girl."

saying this, Jake takes a spot on the floor to commit to the game, then turned to the others.

"You guys in as well?"

The others were a little edgy at first, but then sure enough they eventually came around and committed as well. The group sit in a circle on the floor between the two beds and Tatenashi places the bottle in the middle. Going by a draw of rock, paper, scissors again, Tatenashi was the first to spin the bottle... and lands on Jackson.

"Okay Jackson-sun, truth or dare?"

Jackson takes a second to think carefully on what would be the best option.

"Truth."

"Okay then... what's your guilty pleasure." She said, trying to sound lewd as she did so to bring the most out of the question, and Jake just raises a brow at her.

"We already going into those questions huh." He sighs. Jake paused for a second and rubs his chin with his thumb as he thinks of an answer. "Okay... My squad knows this, but no one else does... I'm a pretty big fan of Ecchi Harem animes."

Upon saying this, the girls gave him quite a surprised look. Jackson notices this and looks back at them.

"Is it that bad of a thing?" He jokes.

"N-no not at all Jake." Charlotte stutters, trying to hold back the fact that she was blushing a little after hearing that Jackson was into those type of anime's.

"It was just that in honesty... you don't look like the type of guy that'd be into Ecchi Harem anime's." Rin added

"Indeed... and to say that you're a fan of... those types of anime's so openly, its a bit of a surprise." Said Cecilia, and Jake tossed a smile towards her.

"Well... It wouldn't be called a guilty pleasure if people didn't find it surprising." He chuckles.

"He's got a point there." Added Ichika, backing up his roommates answer to the question.

"I guess so, then that means that you were telling the truth Jake." Said Tatenashi as she decides that his answer was valid enough to evade the forfeit, but then Jackson spots that cheeky smirk of her tugging at the corner of her lips before she asked a little question. "By the way, out of curiosity, what is it about those anime's that get your attention."

A tiny grin tugs at the edge of his mouth, he knew exactly what she was trying to get him to say. However Jake already had his answer for that question.

"Two things... One, I like the storylines because they do have some very interesting plots and main characters that develop over the anime all show a good level of character development, so I feel that I know the characters better and get more into the anime. Two, I like a good bit of comedy in my anime's... And if there is one type of comedy that puts me in stitches every time, its the comedy that can only be found in a Harem anime." He says, chuckling a little to himself at the thought of one of those comedic moments in anime he saw a while ago with his squad during one of their anime and chill nights. The others seemed to get what he was talking about, and were a little surprised that he didn't answer the way they were honestly thinking he was going to answer that question... However that doesn't stop Tatenashi from pushing for an answer.

"Hmmmm, I don't know Jake... You sure it isn't the fan service that those anime's show that gets your attention." She said as she leans towards Jake, giving a cheeky wink at him as if she knew he was lying or something. Jake didn't have to look down to know that quite a large amount of her cleavage was popping out of that of hers, and assumed that she was trying to catch him off guard or something by trying to give him a bit of fan service herself to see what kinda reaction she'd get out of the young American... Jake doesn't look down at her chest, instead he just gives her a small chuckle, and like a comedic robber being busted by the cops, he holds his hands up to her.

"Although its not the main reason I look up these anime's... I gotta admit, I do like a little bit of fan service every now and then... after all its natural for any of those anime's to have it in them... So I'll admit you caught me out on that one." He chuckles.

"Fair enough... I'd say the same, anyway Jake... Your turn to spin." Said Tatenashi as she sits back in her spot. Jackson spins the bottle and this time it stops at Ichika.

"Truth or dare Ich?" Jackson asked.

"Hmmmm, since you took truth, I'll do a dare." Ichika replies. Jake ponders his mind for a moment to think of a challenge, but he soon clicked his fingers as one pops into his head.

"I know." He said as he gets up from his spot and walks over to his bed, the others watch as they try to figure out what he was up to. He kneels down on the other side of the bed and appeared to be dragging something out from underneath it, he soon gets back up and the others were a little surprised when they see that in one hand he was carrying a steel ball with a handle welded to the top of it, walking up to Ichika he holds his arm out to pass the ball to him.

"For your dare, you have one minute to get this weight above your head and hold it there for fifteen seconds." Said Jake. Ichika looks at the weight for a second, but after seeing how easy Jake seemed to be holding it up he assumed it didn't look that bad of a dare to do.

"Sure, I think I can do that." Said Ichika as he gets up and take the weight in his hands... But the second he did, he spotted a smirk tug at Jakes mouth as he releases the ball from his grasp, and as soon as he did that... Ichika finds himself powerless to hold the weight up as it falls to the floor.

"Gwuah!" He shouts as the ball hit the floor with a great thud that echoed throughout the room, and even made the girls feel the shaking in the floor boards, all of them confused on whether Jake was incredibly strong to have held that weight so easily... or if Ichika was just getting weaker in his arms again. Ichika tries to lift the weight up but found himself struggling to do so.

"What the hell is this thing made of?" He stutters as he looks up at Jackson, who was smirking down at him.

"That's a moulded ball of solid lead encased in a five centre-metre thick Tungsten shell. That one is one of my low to mid weight ones... but last time I checked, it was coming in at about eighty-eight pounds." Jackson said as he folds his arms, and Ichika's eyes widen at what he was hearing,

"EIGHTY-EIGHT POUNDS! THAT'S LIKE FOURTY KG'S... How did you lift that so easily?" He stutters, he was finding it hard to believe that Jake was able to lift the weight so aimlessly and hold out in front of him as if it was made out of paper, even some of the girls were quite surprised by it as well.

"Hahaha, those protein shakes I drink aren't just for diet purposes Ichika." Jake chuckles as he flexes his right arm to display the rather impressive size and definition of his limbs muscular form, and that gained quite the look from Tatenashi.

"Oh my Jake, It looks so big and hard." She says as she gazes at his muscles, almost instantly gaining another strange look from the others.

"Hey, mind that mouth of yours Tatenashi." Said Rin.

"Yeah... do you realise how wrong that sounds." Houki adds.

Jake just looks at her and sighs.

"Does everything you say to me have to sound lewd, suggestive or just downright dirty?"

"You sound like that's a bad thing." Tatenashi giggles.

"It could be a problem to someone wanting to speak to you in a serious manner..." Jake huffed.

"Well... tonight isn't one of those nights for serious talk." She said, but then glances at his arm again. "Can I feel your muscles Jake."

That last part was unexpected and Jakes eyes as well as the rest of the girls widen in surprise as they all stare at Tatenashi.

"Excuse me!" He was only able to say. And as he does, Tatenashi gets up from her spot on the floor and walks over to him.

"I was just curious, your muscles must be really firm to easily lift weights like that." She said, then places her hands together and gives him a puppy dog expression. "Pretty please JJ."

Jackson wasn't that sure on how to react to this... this wasn't something he was expecting to be asked by the girls here. He glances past her to look at the other girls, who all seemed to shrug their shoulders at him as if they had no answer for this. So he decided just to roll with things.

"Errr I guess I don't have a problem with that," He said as he holds out his arm for her, and like and eager kitten to the toy mouse, Tatenashi wraps her hand around his bicep muscle.

"Oh my." She says as she squeezes him tightly, feeling the firm and rugged form of his muscles and how they twitched at the slightest movement.

"This feels so hard Jake... I can barely wrap my hand around it." She giggles. The rest of the girls blush at the thought of what she was making it sound like, whereas Jackson just shakes his head at her.

"For god sake Tatenashi." Said Cecelia.

"Sorry, I can't help it." She replies with a light chuckle.

"Okay... I think that is enough touching for now." Jake said as he withdraws his arm from her.

"Awwwww." Tatenashi pouts in disappointment.

"Errrr, guys... Is anyone counting?" They all hear Ichika speaking, and Jake turns round to see that he'd been so caught up by Tatenashi feeling up his arm, that he didn't notice that Ichika had actually managed lift the weight above his head... However it didn't seem that anyone was counting the fifteen seconds he was supposed to hold it for.

"Whoops, Sorry Ich... Looks like I got distracted." Jake chuckled as he walks over to Ichika and takes the weight off him. "My bad... I think you must've done more than the dare asked for."

"It feels like it." Ichika groans as he shake his arms off, feeling how weak they felt after holding that weight up for that long.

"Haha, Maybe you should try a few protein shakes... they'll fix that pretty quick." Jake laughs as he puts the weight back under his bed, making it look so easy to lift once again.

"Anyway, how about we continue the game." Ichika suggests.

"Yeah, it's your turn to spin anyway man." Jake replies as he sits back down in the circle.

They continued on with their game, everyone getting their fare share of tasks. Rin was asked what her favourite pass times were, Laura was dared to do ten push ups with Cecelia on her back, Charlotte ended up having to dance to the song Cool for the Summer... which she did surprisingly well in everyone's opinion although she felt pretty embarrassed for doing, Cecilia had to pretend to be a monster and honestly made a total hash of it and looked more like she was just going nuts, Houki was asked what she thought about the clothes Jake let her borrow and said she thought they were rather nice and surprisingly comfortable... Then Tatenashi asked Ichika to answer out of a scale of ten how hot Houki looked dressed in Jackson's clothes... And he just manages to avoid the forfeit by saying she was an eight out of ten before he ran out of time to speak, making sure that his answer didn't provoke the others into thinking he was aroused by her.

And now it was Ichika's turn to spin again.

"Here goes." He said as he spins the bottle.

"Let me know if it lands on me guys, I'm gonna get another snack." Jake said as he gets up to go to the counter. While the game was playing everyone had helped themselves to most of the food that was brought, but when he gets up their, he notices the sandwiches hadn't been touched yet.

"Who's are the sandwiches?" He asked, and Cecelia's face lights up.

"Oh, I made those for everyone... do feel free to have some Jackson." She said with a smile, but the others all look at each other with the same worried expression... with one thought in mind.

 _Uh oh... Jake, don't do it man._

Jake looks at the sandwiches, unaware that they were probably gonna give him the worst stomach ache he could imagine, the girls preparing for his reaction, but as he picks up one and is about to bite it, Ichika speaks up.

"Truth or Dare JJ?"

Jake turns round to see that the bottle had indeed landed on his spot.

"Errrrr, I'll do a truth again."

Ichika ponders his mind for a good question, feeling like he should get a little payback on Jackson for that weight dare he made him do, and just as Jake takes a bite into his sandwich, he asked.

"Have you ever touched a girls bare chest before."

Jake suddenly coughs, almost choking on the sandwich and spewing it back up.

"What did you say!" He splutters, shocked that Ichika would ask such a question, and even the others were looking at Ichika in shock... No one was expecting to hear him ask something... Well expect Tatenashi, in fact she seemed pretty pleased with it.

"Oh my Ichy-kun... and I thought I was going to be asking the good questions." She said while prodding his waist with her elbow. The girls look at Jake to hear how he was going to answer, but Rin couldn't help but ask him something out of curiosity.

"Errr, was that the question, or the sandwich that made you choke Jake?"

"A bit of both to be honest... way too much salt in this one." He said as he puts the sandwich back on the counter. Cecelia looked a little disappointed by this.

"Oh drat it... I thought a tea spoons worth would have been fine." She said. Jake looks back at the sandwich he bit.

"A tea spoon... you could kill a garden of snails with that much."

"Oh JJ... Tic toc, tic toc." He heard Tatenashi say, bringing him back onto the question Ichika asked him. He was really in a vice now, because he already knew the answer was yes he has touched a girls breasts before... and on that thought, he glances over at the girl in question... Rin.

He hadn't forgotten that little incident when he tripped in the locker room and groped her when he crashed to the ground, and although she wasn't the first one he had touched... he has had similar incidents with his squad mates back at base when they tried to get playful with him... they all still had bra's on so using them as an answer was out of the question. Looking briefly at Rin, Jake could see the fire in her eyes warning him that if he mentioned what happened back then... he would probably get a severe beating from her for it... Then he suddenly has a brainwave.

"I would like to take a life line and move from truth to dare." He said, looking directly at Tatenashi to see if she would allow that... and mercifully to his relief she does. But his chances were short lived when Ichika spoke up again.

"Okay then... I dare you to answer the question."

"WHAT!" He shouts... unable to believe how little chance his roommate was giving him, even the other girls were surprised by Ichika for that. Jake quickly thinks out his options... but they were both pretty bad no matter what way he looked at it. If he didn't answer soon then he would be forced to do the forfeit and risk getting swarmed by every other girl in the academy as he runs up and down the hall in his boxers... but if he said that the girl he touched was Rin, not only was he more than likely going to embarrass her... but she would probably pumble him into the ground for it.

"Ten seconds JJ." Tatenashi said as she counts down the time Jake had left. And he wasn't sure if it was the sudden rush of blood to his head, or the fact that he could have possibly lost his mind for what he was about to say, but before Tatenashi could finish counting down from three... Jake suddenly spoke up.

"Alright, alright, alright wait." He said to stop her. And as he does, everyone leans forward to hear what he ad to say... Rin being more focused on hearing him, but hoping he wasn't going to spill... Jake takes a deep breath and there was a moment of silence that hung in the room... but then he says the unthinkable.

"I'll do the forfeit."

It took a second to process what they just heard him say, but as soon as they do... everyone gasps a little and looks at Jake wide eyed... Apart from Tatenashi, who seemed to be very excited by hearing this.

"Ohohoh Jake... being brave and adventurous are we." She said with an eager voice. And Jackson just sighs at her, for he had a feeling she was going to get excited over this.

"Well... It's either this... or risk the consequences of answering." He replies as he get up to go to the bathroom to remove his track suits.

"Consequences... what do mean by that Jake?" Asked Houki. Stopping Jake from going of as he turns back look at the group.

"Yeah, is it really that bad of a thing to speak of." Laura added.

"I could understand that it would be rather embarrassing for one to admit doing such a thing to a lady in front of so many people... but even so, I wouldn't have thought that it was bad enough to risk taking the forfeit." Said Cecelia, the others agreeing with her completely... As none of them could think of how Jake saw the logic of doing something that they personally thought was more embarrassing than answering the question.

"Look, I got no problem with answering that question... it wouldn't hurt my pride or my dignity." Jake said to the girls, who were now even more confused by this.

"so why didn't you answer?" Asked a very baffled Charlotte.

"Well first off... I ain't no snitch, so I'm keeping my tongue tied for the sake of the girl who was involved in that incident... and second... well, if she ever did find out that I breathed a word of that to anyone else... she'd probably try and kill me." He said modestly. And after hearing his reasons for doing this... They couldn't help but feel a little impressed by him, risking his own embarrassment to spare someone else of it was a noble thing to do and it seemed that Jake was more kind hearted than they already thought.

"Well... guess I got no choice but to do this now." Jake said as he slowly hooked his thumbs over the waistband of his track suits, most of the girls turned away to give him some sense of privacy, and takes a deep breath before muttering quietly.

"Geez, I can't believe I got swindled into this."

The girls could hear the sound of fabrics hitting the floor and assumed it was safe to turn back, however as they do... all of them can't help but give him a rather surprised look.

"Ooh la la Jake... I like those." Tatenashi said softly as she eyes up his figure as well as what was hiding beneath his track suits.

"That's... expecting for someone as tough figured as you Jackson." Charlotte said as she looks at him.

"Yeah... I didn't know had that sense of fashion." Cecelia added as she to was quite surprised by what she was seeing. Jackson's boxers were frost white and hugged his figure tightly, showing every trace, line and definition of his waists muscular form... and what was surprising to the girls, was that poker-dotted all over his boxers was a vast array of bright red love hearts.

"They were a gift from my squadron for my Sixteenth birthday." Jake sighs as he tries to explain why he was wearing what he would personally call (Girly) boxers, then gives Ichika a short glare for getting him into this mess. "And because I wasn't expecting to get into a situation like this... I thought it would be safe to wear them... guess I was wrong."

"Looks like it JJ." Tatenashi giggles, then that crafty smile spreads across her face. "And what was it you said to me at lunch earlier... Its gonna take more than a few words to see you in your boxers... Well granted you were right there, but in the end... It looks like I got what I wanted."

"Well enjoy the view while you can Tatenashi." Jake huffs as he walks over to bedroom door. "Because I swear this is the only time you'll ever see it."

Jackson stops at the door and ever so carefully opens it to peek through the gap to see if anyone was out there just now... It seemed to be clear. The others watch from a distance as Jake takes a deep breath before muttering to himself.

"Dear God... If you're up there... Don't fail me now."

And before anyone could blink, Jackson quickly pulls the door open and bolts it out of the room at lightning pace. The group quickly run to the door and peer out the room to see how he's doing. Jake runs to one end of the hall and quickly turns back to make a dash for the other side. Fortunately for him, because of how late it was, it was very likely that most of the other girls in the hall were asleep so doing this forfeit wasn't as tough as he thought at first... Nevertheless he was being careful and tries to tread as lightly as possible while running to make sure his own footsteps wouldn't attracted any unwanted attention. He reached the other side of the hall... And began to think that out of some miracle... He was gonna make it, but just as he starts the second dash... His prayer from earlier just ran out.

"HEY EVERYONE, JACKSON IS RUNNING UP AND DOWN THE HALL IN HIS UNDIES... ENJOY THE SHOW." Tatenashi shouts out at the top of her lungs, her voice echoes through the hall and Jackson feels the shock of his body tense up as he starts to hear the scrambling footsteps coming from behind every door in the hall. And soon enough, the high pitched squeals of excited girls begin to ring out through the whole building as they open their doors, unable to resist the call of Tatenashi's announcement.

"OH MY GOD! JACKSONS RUNNING AROUND IN HIS BOXERS." One girl cries out.

"WOW, HE'S WEARING SPOTTED HEART ONE'S, THAT SO HOT!" Shouts another.

"WHY HE IS DOING THIS THOUGH." One says in confusion.

"WHO CARES... HE'S DOING IT AND I LIKE IT." Said one to answer the last.

Jackson's face was starting to burn up from the embarrassment of this... Unsure on how this could get any more awkward.

"QUICK... TAKE HIS PICTURE BEFORE HE STOPS." One girl shouts out as a suggestion.

"What!" Jackson stutters, and before he knew it... the bright flashes and clicking sounds of camera lenses fill the entire hall as every available cell phone is aimed directly towards him. His face begins to burn up from the embarrassment, but the girls all were giggling as they snapshot him, clearly enjoying his little dash... but in his mind... only one sentence could be said.

"No no no no no no NO NO NO NO NO NOOOOOOOO!"

From his room, the others were watching Jackson... in honest opinion, feeling a little sorry for him... well, except for Tatenashi, who seemed to be rsther pleased with what was happening. Then Charlotte turns to her.

"Was that really necessary, Tatenashi?"

"Yeah, if you had kept quiet there... then he could have had a pretty good chance of getting away with that." Houki adds, but Tatenashi just seems to smirk at her.

"Of course it was necessary." She said with a smile as she watches the boy running red faced up and down the hall. "Out of logic for the game... the forfeit has to be more difficult than the truth or dare... So I had to... kick the nest a little."

The others just sigh at her in frustration... Then Ichika turns say something to her.

"Tatenashi... You do realise that JJ's is going to be soooooooooooo mad at you for this."

Tatenashi doesn't pay any attention to him, instead, to his surprise... she just giggles and waves her finger at him in an (I don't think so) motion.

"Ah, ah ,ah Ichika... I think I will fine... if anything, I think it's you that JJ is going to be mad at." She said to him, and Ichika could only widen his eyes in surprise.

"What! Why me... your the one that made this forfeit, and then made it more embarrassing for him." He said as he tries to justify that Tatenashi was the one at fault. But she just smirks at him.

"True... but Jake knew the risks to this game, that's why he played... however... it was you that asked him the question that he couldn't answer."

Saying this, the group take a second to think about what she had just said... and as they look back down the hall to where Jackson was running, a cold sweat drips from the back of their necks as they see a thick dark aura radiating from Jackson as he seemed to be glaring at one of them as he runs back up the hall... And they soon find out who it was he was subjecting his death stare to when he shouts out at the top of his voice.

"ICHIKAAAAA! YOU BETTER BE WEARING PADDED BOXERS TOMORROW... CUZ I'M KICKIN YOU ASS INTO NEXT WEEK FOR THIS!"


	13. Chapter 13: Morning Match Payback

**Chapter 13: Morning Match Payback**

* * *

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! Jackson's eye slowly open up as the faint sound of his alarm clock rings out through the room, leaning lazily over onto his side he reaches over and hits the silencer button to stop the alarm and looks at the time... 05:00am. He yawns a little as he drags himself out of his bed and stretches out his arms as he does so, looking over to see that Ichika was still fast asleep. Feeling like he shouldn't waste any more time, Jackson grabs a fresh pair of boxer shorts as well as his uniform that was hanging on his wardrobe and heads into the bathroom for an early morning shower.

Casting aside his clothes, Jake steps into the shower and turns on the cold water. He shudders at first for a bit as the freezing water runs down his body, but he soon becomes familiar with the chilled feeling as his body and mind adjusts to the temperature. This was something that was common of Jackson to do as he always saw a cold shower as not only healthier for his body, but it was defiantly the wake up call that worked the most for him... and today was no exception, for this morning was the day that his important shipment was to be delivered to him in the next half an hour, and he'd been waiting ever so patiently for this shipment to come... The ammunition for his IS's Railgun.

After washing himself off and finishing his shower, Jackson steps out of the shower and dries himself off before he changes into his IS academy uniform. He checks himself in the mirror and straightens his collar to keep his look as pristine as usual... but then sighs at his reflection, for he had not put his IS back on after removing it to get in the shower... He stares at his left eye in the mirror and could only look at it in slight disgust. His vision focused on the mark that he bared, the mark that scared his body and burdened his life. Thoughts and memories of the past began to seep into his mind and before he knows it... A low, demonic chuckle flows over his ear as he felt like something was behind him. Jackson suddenly turns round, but sees that nothing was there, and he shakes his head to exterminate the thoughts trying to grip him. After that he just sighs.

"It's too early in the morning for this shit."

Picking up his eyepatch he returns it to its rightful place round his head and takes his lucky hat as well. Walking out the bathroom he decided to quickly make a protein shake to take with him. Quietly leaving the room as not to wake either Ichika or anyone else in the building, and as he walks down the hall, he could only look at the place in annoyance as he remembers that only a few hours ago... he was stuck having to run up and down here in his boxers while every girl here was taking his picture... Then a low grunt comes from him as he remembers that it was Ichika that put him in that position.

"You are so in for it if I get my hands on you in training today Ich." He mutters to himself as he downs his protein shake. After his incident, the games night had become a lot quieter after that, and for the first time... the girls got to see what Jake looked like when he was ticked off at something. They did play a few more games after that though to at least help Jake take his mind off what had happened to him... But in the end, he was pretty damn mad at Ichika for fleecing him into that... because in his mind, there were just some things that a dude should never do to another dude, and what Ichika dropped Jackson into was without a doubt one of those things. But he doesn't let it cloud his mind up too much, after all... today was a new day and he'd have all the time he needed to blow off some steam in training today, instead he just lets the calm and soothing atmosphere of the academies beauty entice his mind as he quietly walks across campus to head for the docks.

Stopping at the security gate, Jackson reaches into his pocket and pulls out the small scrap of paper that had the key code for the lock which he'd acquired from Chifuyu earlier yesterday. The sound of mechanical components moving filled the air as the gates slowly open to let Jake enter the harbour... and sure enough, right on schedule, a Arleigh Burke-class destroyer from the United States Navy was keyed in port and waiting for him. As Jake walks down the pier, one of the ships crew could be seen walking off the loading platform whilst pushing a large wooden crate on a trolley jack... And he could only smile at the man.

"Morning Otto." Said Jackson as he recognises the sailor, who returns the favour with a smile of his own.

"Morning Captain. Jackson."

"So how's the family doing." Jake asks, thinking that since he was still a few minutes early he would at least have a little conversation with Otto. He had known him from the last few times he was seen around delivering equipment for either him or the rest of I-S-X-C-S and had gotten on with him quite well most days.

"Fine, fine. Little Jackeline is missing her daddy... but two more shipments after this one and I'm off service for a week, so she's looking forward to that." Otto said as he passes the manifest to Jackson to sign off the delivery, feeling a little relieved that his service duty was finally coming close to one of his few off time schedules. Jackson smiles at him.

"Well, I wish you fair sees... and enjoy you vacation when it comes." He said as he signs his name on the file and hands the clipboard back to Otto.

"Thanks Jackson... so how's life here at the academy, must be interesting." Otto said with a hint of light humour in his tone... and Jackson could only chuckle a little as he thinks about the past week here.

"Interesting is an understatement Otto." He said as he grips the handle of the trolley jack to take his shipment, gaining a light laugh from the sailor.

"Well, I better get back on board Jake, its nice seeing you again... and enjoy the new toys." Said Otto as he says his goodbyes to Jackson and returns to his ship. With his business done here, Jackson begins to pull his shipment back up the pier and makes his way to the arena. After a few minutes of heavy hauling, he makes it the hanger that he had been given by Chifuyu to store all the tech and equipment regarding him and his IS. Jackson only turns a few of the lights on just to at least see the area he was going to work in and once he sets the crate down on the ground, he wastes no time in retrieving the crowbar he kept hung on the wall with the rest of his maintenance tools. With a strong drive he forces the bar into the crate and pries off the side of it to reveal five large black cases made of military grade aluminium. However, just as he was about to pick one up, Jackson stops as he feels something in the atmosphere... and just turns round behind him to look at the darkened area of the hanger with his arms folded.

"You know, I don't know whether I should call you brave... or stupid." He sternly said into the darkness. "Spying on me isn't the best thing to do... so how about you come on out."

There was a brief moment of silence that hung in the air, but sure enough, Jackson's instincts were right and a young figure slowly appeared from the shadows, though it wasn't much of a surprise to him when he finds out that it was Laura that had been eavesdropping on him.

"You're a lot more vigilant than I thought." She said to him, but Jake still seemed to have a slightly annoyed expression on his face.

"What are you doing here, Laura... I know it wasn't to go for an early morning walk." He said with his arms still folded.

"I could say the same to you, I heard something from my room and noticed that it was you... After all, anyone who saw someone out at this hour would consider it to be suspicious." Laura protested to prove her point, and Jackson knew he couldn't really deny that... So he just nodded at her in understanding.

"Well... I had an important shipment delivered today, so I had to be up to sign for it." He said as he looks back at the crate that he was opening, then looks back at Laura. "But since you seem to be here as well, would you care to give me a helping hand for spying on me... I'm guessing you're curious to see what's in these cases."

Laura stood there for a second, a little surprised that Jake was going to let her see what his shipment was... in honesty, she thought he was going to tell her not to eavesdrop on him, tell her to leave him be and let him get on with his business... after all, that's what she'd have done if she was in his shoes. However that didn't seem to be the case, so she looks at Jackson and gives him a slight nod.

"Well, since you asked... I guess I could lend a hand." She said, and after hearing that, Jake gestures her towards the cases and they grab one by either side and lift it up. The case was noticeably heavy for their size, and this just increases Laura's curiosity to what might be in these cases as the two of the m quietly move them out of the crate and line them up on the floor. Jackson kneels in front of one of them and places his thumb on the identity scanner on the lock, Laura leans over his shoulder and watches as the lights on the case turn from a solid red to a flashing green and the sound of all the locks simultaneously move, unlocking the case.

"So what is it that's in these things, Jackson." Asked Laura, and Jackson just looks back up at her with a grin on his face as he places his hands on the sides of the case, before saying.

"My most powerful weapon."

Jackson opens the case and Laura looks to see that inside were five strange looking objects all placed in foam moulds. The object were relatively small, maybe forearms length at best and were about sixty five millimetres thick at their widest point, attached to them were four small fins and the metal that all five objects were made of were so shiny that Laura could see her own face in them... However, she raises a brow at them as she thinks of when Jackson referred to them as his most powerful weapon... Finding it hard to understand how.

"This is your most powerful weapon... Five chunks of metal?" She says to him, sounding a little unconvinced... Jackson however just chuckles a little, somehow knowing that would be her reaction, he picks one of the projectiles up in his hands and holds it in front of her.

"Not just any metal my dear... Say hello to the X.K.E.P" He said as he hands it to her. Laura takes the weapon in her hands, and immediately notices that something was odd... for its size, this projectile was heavy, very heavy, at least twenty kilo's, but as she looks at it she turns to Jake with a question.

"What's X.K.E.P stand for... and just what is this thing made of."

"It stands for Xperimental. Kinetic. Energy. Projectile... That thing your holding Laura, is a piece of condensed Tungsten-Carbide that has a depleted uranium rod running through the middle as well as a three millimetre thick coating of it on the tip. Because of this, it's so dense that it has been deemed practically indestructible." Said Jackson, explaining the materialism of the object that Laura was holding. After hearing this, Laura was a little taken back by this. Being from the military herself she was no stranger to what Tungsten-Carbide was, but holding something made out of this extremely rare metal for the first time was a somewhat pleasant experience. And after looking a the other cases, it was hard to believe that it seemed possible that Jackson was in possession of at least twenty of these projectiles.

"Oh, just make sure you don't drop it though... one of those puppies cost me $30,000." Jackson sudden says in a half humouring tone, but when Laura hears how much the thing she was holding was... she could only stare at it in disbelief.

"What! That much for just one... why?" She said as she hands the projectile back to Jackson, who puts it back into the case for now. She knew that weapons these days weren't cheap, but even so... something as small and simple as this metal object costing the same as a modern smart missile was something she just couldn't get her head around. Jackson saw that the silver haired girl seemed to be both confused and curious about the logic behind these rounds he possessed, and smiles a little as he sits on one of the other cases to explain it to her.

"It's made of Condensed Tungsten-Carbide and depleted Uranium... That's more than half the price already." Jake chuckles, feeling a little humoured by the young German girls reaction to his statement. "It's among the top five rarest metals on the planet, and the cost to custom manufacture it into these specific rounds isn't cheap either... But cost doesn't matter that much to me about these rounds Laura... you know why."

Laura looked at Jake with a curious glint in her eye, but she was still a little surprised that he was sharing this information with her to say the least... but if he was willing to do so then she wasn't going to deny it, as she always knew that knowing your opponent was crucial for a soldier.

"Okay then, Jackson... Why?" She asked, an as she does, a small grin creeps onto Jakes face.

"Because the $30,000 rounds... can utterly obliterate a multi billion dollar IS... In one shot." He said proudly, but as those words sink into Laura, her expression shifts into one of shock... cause they could only mean one thing.

"Wait... are you telling me... that you possess a single shot kill ability as well." She said to him in surprise. the only person she knew that possessed that ability was Ichika, and this ability was extremely rare of IS's, but now hearing that Jackson had the ability to do this as well left her in the mind set that she had under estimated his capabilities now. Jackson just nods at her to confirm her last question, and feeling like he should finish up what he had to do here, his eyepatch glows bright white as he activates his IS. Laura shields her eye from the light, and when it dissipates, she looks up at the Railgun mounted on Jakes shoulder... his one shot kill weapon. Jakes face was covered by his armour so she couldn't see his face. He reaches behind him and removes the magazine from the bottom of his cannon and placedit on the ground in front of his IS.

"Can you please pass me the rounds in that case, Laura." He asked, Laura was a little slow to react to him as she was still caught up by looking at the gun on his shoulder, but she soon complies and picks up one of the X.K.E.P Rounds and puts it in the (Storm Ghosts) hand where Jake carefully pushes it into the magazine, followed but the other four from the case. Filling the mag, Jackson picks it back up and reattaches it to his Railgun, the sound of its mechanisms moving echo in the air as he tested the loading system and loads one round into the chamber.

"What about the other cases?" Laura asked, knowing that the magazine was full, she wasn't sure of what Jake had planned for the others in the cases. Jackson asked her to open the rest of them so he could deal with the remaining rounds and she lends her hand to help. Now with all four cases lined up and opened in front of (Storm Ghost), Jackson holds out his forearm arm and a small holographic screen pops up in front of him. Laura watches as he types something in on the screen before it fades away... and what happened next... was something she wasn't expecting to see.

Jackson holds out both his hands and a series of green lasers are emitted from his finger tips and hit ten of the rounds in the cases, levitating them into the air in front of him. She watched in amazement as the green light envelopes the rounds and suddenly, the rounds began to break down into light and dissipate into the beam.

"What did you just do?" Laura asked as Jake moved to deal with the other ten rounds that were left.

"I have stored them in my IS's virtual storage module, meaning that when my cannon runs out of ammo... I can do this." Jake said as he holds out his hand, and a dark green glowing light radiates from his palm as one of the X.K.E.P Rounds reappear in his hand. Then it made sense to Laura... He'd broken them into data so he could carry them more effectively... but after realising that, she just thought of something.

"Couldn't you have just done that instead of loading the rounds manually?" She asked, but Jake just chuckles at the silver haired girl.

"Well, Yeah... but if I did that then I wouldn't get that much of a chance to show and tell you a little about these rounds." He said from behind the armour of his IS as he closed his hand and dissipated the round into light again. He moves to break down the remaining rounds, but as he does, he spots in the corner of his eye that Laura was still staring intensively at his Railgun... as if she was struggling to understand something about it, and when he finished breaking up and storing the rounds, he turns to face her... unlocking the right side of his facial armour to speak a little more clearly.

"I noticed you were still staring at my cannon Laura... Something about it bothering you?" Asked Jackson, but Laura quickly shakes her head at him.

"Nothing about it bothers me... Its just... Its smaller than my IS's cannon, but mine isn't a one shot killer... so what is it about yours that's so different."

"Bigger doesn't always mean better, Laura." Chuckled Jake as he lowers himself on one knee to give Laura a closer look at the Railgun attached to him. "Unlike yours, My cannon fires low calibre solid projectiles instead of high calibre high explosive ones... and thanks to the Twenty-five Mega Watt charge that mine can produce, I fire rounds at a much higher velocity than you do... Mach 7 to be precise. You couple that level of velocity with the fact that my rounds are extremely dense, and you will understand how this is my one shot kill weapon... because the X.K.E.P Rounds can transfer all that kinetic energy into one small spot on impact... They punch their way through anything... Even an IS's pilot protection shield."

Laura listens to Jakes lecture, taken in by the science behind his weapon... it interested her greatly, a cannon that focused on using simple electricity to launch a solid object at such intense velocities that it could punch through close to anything in its path...

"Amazing." Was all she could say, she reached out a hand a placed it on the cold steel of Jacksons Railgun, feeling her arm shudder from the chill running through her as she runs her hand along the side of Jakes gun, then she looked at him.

"I never thought that such a weapon could be possible... did you build this thing." She asked. But Jake just shook his head at her as he returns his IS to standby mode.

"I wish I had a mind that great, but no... I have to thank the brilliant mind of Sabrina for creating that weapon." He said as he refers to the scientist that in his honest opinion... was the very reason he got into the IS program, and to where he was now.

"You mentioned that name before, I take she is someone you are close to." Laura asked, remembering when Jake told everyone about how he got into the IS program, and mentions that name before. Jake silently nods at her.

"Indeed she is... She was the one that opened the door that put me in the position I'm in now, she was the one that gave me the chance to enter the IS program, she was by side day in and day out as I trained, she helped me make my IS as powerful as it is now... She treated me as a son to her... I owe her so much for this." He said as he looks down at his hands, hands that have been a part of building something he was truly proud to have been involved in. Laura was able to understand this in a way, she herself knew what it felt like to be guided by someone that brought her to the position she stood in, and although she knew she would never be able to repay her mentor for all her efforts... reaching a level that would put her along side her stature, would be her way of thanking her for everything.

"Well, I'm done with what I need to do here for now." Jake said as he stretched out his arms.

"Okay then, if your business is done. Then I shall leave you be for now." Said Laura as she proceeds to exit the hanger.

"Hey Laura." She hears Jake call out to stop her, surprised by this, Laura turns back to see Jackson standing with his hands in his pockets, a small smile on his face as he asked the silver haired girl something.

"You know... it might still be early, but I think the cafeteria might be open soon... there's no point going back to the dorms if we're gonna leave five minutes later... how about we see if we can get an early breakfast."

Laura pauses for a second, feeling quite surprised by what the young man was asking.

"Huh, why would you ask of that." She said to him, her voice ever so slightly stuttered, and although Jake picked up on that, he just ignores and gives her a slight shrug of his shoulders.

"I just thought you'd like to continue our conversation... I kinda like talking with you... you seem like your more into talking about military tech than the others."

By now, Laura was starting to feel her cheeks burn up a little, she wasn't sure if Jake was being serious or just trying to flirt with her. Nonetheless she noticed that he was right, because of the time they took to load up his IS, there was no point going back to the dorms now, so quickly sobering up her composure she just gives him that usual blank expression of hers as she answers.

"Well, since you have a point about the time, I guess I could accompany you till the others are up... but don't go trying to get any information out of me regarding my skills, I still remember the reason you're here." She said sternly, pointing a finger at Jake. He just chuckles a little at her reaction though... finding it rather cute in his opinion.

"Glad to hear you're up for it, come on lets go get something to eat." He said as he walks to the hanger exit, with Laura quickly following him.

* * *

It was a little later that morning and Ichika was walking through the corridor to head to the cafeteria for his breakfast. He was accompanied by both Houki and Charlotte who had caught up with him earlier on, after once again waking up to see that Jackson had left the room before him, and the three of them were enjoying a little laugh as they engaged in light conversation to pass the time. Although... despite their rather cheerful tone, Ichika was wondering how Jackson was doing at this point... After hearing how mad he was at him for that trick he pulled on him during the pyjama party last nigh, he would be lying if he said he wasn't a little worried by now, and was quietly hoping that in training today he would not get paired with him for a duel.

"So have you managed to sort things out with Jackson yet Ichika?" Charlotte asks, wondering if he had done anything regarding the situation, as she knew herself that Jake was pretty eager to get his hands on his roommate for what happened last night.

"Yeah... I'd do it before training while you have a chance, Ichika... if not, then I'm pretty sure training will pretty rough for you today." Houki adds in. They weren't strangers to the mood Jake was in after last night, and knowing that he would be pretty fired up for training this morning, it would be smart for Ichika to try and apologies for putting him in that mood. However, Ichika just swallows dryly at them.

"Errr, well the thing is guys... He left the room early this morning... So I haven't had the chance to just yet." He said, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. Houki and Charlotte just sigh to each other, somehow knowing that he wouldn't have done anything about this yet, and after hearing that Jackson had once again left his room early... they assumed that he'd gone to the arena to get some early practice or something to get himself in the zone for training today. However, as they walk into the cafeteria they were met by an unexpected sight. Sitting at the far end at a table that was next to the window eating breakfast was Jackson, and to their surprise... Laura was there with him and the two of them seemed to be discussing something between the two of them.

"Huh, looks like Jackson wasn't the only one up early." Said Houki while she watches the two young soldiers as she takes her spot in the queue.

"It would appear so... So this is where Laura had been." Charlotte adds. remembering that she woke this morning to find that her roommate had left without saying anything.

"I wonder what they could be talking about?" Said Ichika as he himself is a little curious of what was going on at that table, seeing that whatever it was... It definitely had Laura looking interested in it. The three of them ponder their thoughts as they stand in line to get their breakfast, watching the two soldiers as they casually continue their conversation.

"Hmmmm, very interesting." Laura says as she rubs her thumb under her chin. "So you communicate with your IS by using an advanced A.I. Unit, that has the ability to engage in verbal communication."

"That's right... her name is I.S.X.I.F Prototype LQ-001... but I've named her Tohka for short." Said Jake. He had been talking to Laura about the advancements in IS A.I. Technology that has been developing over in the states, and in the spur of the moment... he took this as an opportunity to tell her about his personal A.I. and her involvement with his IS. Laura looks at him with curiosity glinting in her eye, she wasn't a stranger to A.I's and what they could do... but to hear that Jackson not only had one in his IS, but one that was able to talk to someone as if the A.I was a person itself... it intrigued her mind greatly.

"I must admit... that is something I would greatly enjoy to see for myself." She said before taking in another mouthful of cereal, and Jake smiles a little at this.

"Funny you should say that... I knew at some point she would be revealed here, so I was actually looking for a good time to let her communicate to some of the other students." He said, and Laura seemed to be interested in that.

"Well, what about during the training session today? I'm sure mentor Orimura would allow it if there is time." She suggests, and Jake takes a second to think about that option... and smiles.

"Actually... that sounds like a good idea, I think I could do that."

As the two of them talk on, Laura spots Ichika, Houki and Charlotte walking with their trays in hand... but because of their cautiousness towards Jackson, they moved to another table not that far from where they were sitting.

"Hmmmm, I wonder why they didn't come here?" Said Laura as she raises a brow at the others, whereas Jackson on the other hand just give a little smirk as was pretty sure he knew why.

"Probably because Ichika is still a little worried about what I said I was going to do if I get him in training today." He chuckles lowly as he goes back to his food.

"Oh yeah... I remember that." Laura said as she recalled what happened last night, and in a way she could somewhat understand where Jake was coming from. "Well, that's even if Miss. Orimura picks the two of you to pair up."

"Yeah... looks like my chances are slim." Said Jake... Just then, they hear a young girl speak up in front of them.

"Excuse me... mind if we sit here please."

The two of them look up to see that it was Honne, Ran and a few of the other girls, all carrying their trays... they were looking for a spot as by now most of the other tables were full. Jackson was about to speak, but Laura cuts him off.

"That isn't a problem... I was about to relocate anyway." She said as she gets up from the table, she then turns to look at Jake and gives him a little smile.

"I needed to go and discuss tactics with Charlotte for train anyway, Jackson... Thanks for the talk, and we'll see you on the field." Laura said to Jake, who gains a smile from him in return.

"Okay, see you and the others in a bit Laura, and thanks for taking some time to talk as well... it was enjoyable." Jake said as Laura then walks off to sit down with Ichika and the others, leaving Jake with the other girls. who waste no time in taking the empty spaces ta the table.

"Morning anyway Jackson-kun." Honne said polity to Jake.

"Morning to you girls as well." Jake replies and tips his hat to them, making some of the girls giggle a little.

"So... how are enjoying your time at the academy Jake." Ran asks him, resting her head in her palm in interest towards getting the chance to talk to the second male IS pilot in the world. Jake's mind scoots over all the memories he's gotten from this place so far... and a faint chuckle comes from his lips as he looks down at his tray.

"It's been... Interesting, to say the least." He said before eating another piece of his steak, the girls raise a curious brow at him.

"Oh really, how so." An intrigued Honne asks.

"Like the kind of (how so) that makes me realise that this place is a much tougher place for a guy to live in than I thought." Jake chuckles, causing a few of the girls to giggle a little at this. Jake then noticed one of the girls sitting at the table was being rather quiet, and it took him a second at first, but he soon realises that it was Luna, hanging her head down at her tray.

"Luna... is it?" Jake calmly to get her attention, causing Luna to look up to him, a little startled that he was wanting to talk to her.

"Errrr... um... yes... that's me." She said sheepishly.

"Are you okay? you're a little quiet." Said Jake.

"Oh... in I'm fine... its just." Luna trails off for a second, before looking at Jackson again. "I'm not really much of a talking person... sorry Jackson."

"It's okay, I just thought you were bothered about something, what with the way you were looking down at your tray like that."

"Actually Jake... Luna's always been like that, she's more of a book worm than a social whiz... which she's proven that by building her own IS." Honne said in a happy tone, but this causes Luna's face to turn pink from bashfulness.

"Honne! D-Don't say that out loud... T-that's a secret." She stutters, but it was too late... Jackson had heard her and now he turns back to Luna with a surprised expression.

"You're building you own IS... That's rather impressive." He said, honestly intrigued that he was hearing this. Luna blushes again as she twiddles her fingers.

"Well... the thing is... it's not finished yet, I still need to do a lot more research before I can perform the first test flight... that's why I've had to use the training models." She said shyly as she tries to hide her face a little from blushing.

"Yeah... and she's really skilled as well... she even had an offer to be deemed the representative contender for the United States... but you declined for some reason?" Ran added in as she turns to her, and now Luna's face was almost red after hearing that.

"Ran! That's not meant to be said either." She said as she covers her face with both hands.

"Oops... Sorry Luna." Ran said with a smile, and now... Jake was even more stunned by what he was hearing as he looks at the shy brunette.

"The chance to be the American Representative, and building you own IS... You're one busy girl, I respect that." He said, his compliment only making her blush even heavier. But then Jake asks. "Out of curiosity... Seeing that I presume for from the U.S. what state are you from?"

"Arizona." Luna answered. Jake nods his head a little, he wasn't expecting someone as timid as Luna to be so deeply involved with the IS, and in a way, he could only look at her in respect for her efforts... he knew there was something different about her compared to the rest... but it seemed that he has only scratched the surface back then. After that conversation, Jake hears his watch buzz, indicating that he had to leave no to prepare for training.

"Well now... Its been nice talking to you girls, but I have to head off now." He said as he gets up from the table. Honne, Ran and a few of the girls giving him a cute aww~ of disappointment, which only makes him smile a little at them as he tips his hat. "I'll see you lot at training today, for now... good day girls."

"Bye, bye Jackson-kun." the girls said in unison as they wave him off.

Jackson discards of his tray and with his hands in his pockets he leaves the cafeteria to head the locker rooms to get changed for training. He walks alone and enjoys the peace as he thinks of what's in store for the class today... but as he does, a group of girls walk round the corner in front of him, and as soon as they spot him... some of them starting giggling and others give him a lustful whistle.

"Hubba Hubba, hey there cowboy." One calls out in a seducing tone.

"Hey there hot stuff... hope you had as much fun as we did." Another adds.

"Doing another peep show tonight... I hope so." A third girl said, and Jake could only sigh to himself... if this is how some of the girls are reacting to his forfeit last night... then sure as hell wasn't letting it happen again. And with that in mind, as he passes the group he simply answers.

"Sorry but that was a one time thing... never gonna happen again." And continues to walk off to the lockers, hearing the group moan in disappointment from his answer.

Jackson walks into the locker room... which he scans intensively to make sure that it was indeed just him in here as he recalls the last time he wasn't the only other person in the changing room, and when he was convinced he was alone, he walks over to his locker and proceeds to change into his IS piloting suit. A few minutes he was ready and stretches his arms out as he loosens up for training. Jackson has a look at the time and sees that he still he ten minutes before he could enter the arena... and since he was up pretty early this morning, he decided to pass the time by catching a quick nap. He finds a bench and lies down, using his hat to cover his head as he doses off for a few moments. He enjoys the peace and quiet... but after a few minutes, Jake picks up a voice in the corner of his ear.

"Well hello there... taking a cat nap I see." He hears a familiar voice that could only belong to a certain blue haired girl... but before Jake could even lift up his hat to look at her, Tatenashi gets all kitten like and crawls up to lay her body on top of his.

"What the-" Jake said as by the time his hat was up... he was met by a pair of ruby red eyes that were gazing at him as he sees the girl lying on him... smiling as per usual.

"Morning JJ-kun... how are you today." Tatenashi said playfully, she was dressed in her IS piloting suit as well and had seen Jake napping and decided to give him what most men would call a pleasant awakening... Jackson however just blankly looks at her.

"I was fine until you decided to use me as a mattress." He said bluntly, clearly in no mood for her attempts to arouse him in any way.

"Aww~ so cold hearted JJ." Tatenashi pouts in disappointment. "And I thought you'd be happy to see me."

"After that stunt you pulled on me last night... you're lucky I'm not mad at you directly." Said Jake as he recalls that cheap shot this crafty little kitten pulled during his forfeit... had it not been for her, he could of made it out of that ordeal in one piece... but nope... now he was the eye candy of the academy for that. Tatenashi lets off a light giggle as she remembers the incident clear as day.

"Oh come on Jake... It was fun." She said with a smile.

"For you at least... now thanks to you, I wouldn't be surprised if I'm the screen saver photo for every cell phone in the entire god damn academy." Jake said in an aggravated tone as he also recalled all those cell phones taking his picture as he was doing the forfeit... Tatenashi just giggles a little as she clearly remembers bieng one of those photographers.

"Aw~ you poor boy... I guess you aren't ready for the attention this place can give you just yet." She said in a sympathetic manner, before smiling brightly at Jackson. "Well don't worry about... I've already found a way to make amends for my little involvement... And left you a nice surprise for today."

Jake raises a brow at this and questions whether or not he should be pleased or even more cautious than before... He has realised from Ichika what he meant by this blue haired girls methods of surprises and wasn't going to be victimised by her again.

"What are you up to now Tat... What surpri-" Jake was silenced as Tatenashi gently placed a finger on his lips and smiles as she waves a finger at him.

"ah, ah , ah... I said it's a surprise. Don't worry... You'll see it straight away... Let's just say I pulled some strings to help get something off your mind." Saying this, the blue haired kitten gets off of Jake, doing her best to make herself look as feline and seducing as possible before she walks off, but not before she turns back to give him a playful wink, saying. "See you around... JJ-kun."

And with that said, Tatenashi disappears round the corner to leave Jake alone, still wearing that confused expression on his face.

"Why do I feel like there's some kinda catch to this..." He thought to himself as he tries to fathom what this so called _Surprise_ of hers, but when he realises the time, he just stretches out his arms and decided not to think too much about it. "Oh well... Guess I should head to the arena before any of the others show up."

Saying this, Jake placed his hat back on top of his locker and headed out to the arena for training.

About ten minutes later the rest of the class start entering the arena for practical training, much to most of the girls delight, they saw that Jackson was passing the time by doing reps of one arm push ups, which gave them a pretty good view of the one eyed boy impressive muscular form as his IS piloting suit adds to the definition of his physique. Then Jake saw Ichika walking out with a few of his friends, swiftly followed by Miss. Orimura and Miss. Yamada Sensei. The class quickly line up and wait for their orders, and Chifuyu begins the lesson.

"Alright... Today we'll be starting with a demonstration match to display the art of low altitude combat. Orimura... Step forward." Chifuyu orders and Ichika quickly does as he's told and stands behind her... but then she said something that sends a chill down his spine.

"Jackson, you're going to be his opponent... come forward."

And the second he heard that, Ichika felt his legs shake... He remembered that Jake was still mad at him for last night, and now he was going to be his opponent for todays demonstration match... There was only one thought in his head. "Oh I'm so dead."

Jackson however could only grin in amusement, what lucky odds... he just happened to be picked to be Ichika's opponent, to him... He finally realised what a certain little kitten had said to him earlier, and as he steps out of his spot in the group, he could only think of one thing as he cracks his knuckles. "So... This is your little surprise for me Tat... hehehe, thank you very much."

Jake takes his place on the field with Ichika over on the other side, as Chifuyu explains the rules of their match.

"The rules are simple boys... Stay fast, stay agile, stay below thirty feet... and show the rest of the class how its done."

Two boys activated their personal units and take their stances, waiting to be flagged. Jackson had his patched eye hidden by one half of his facial armour again as the girls observe in both curiosity and excitement as they prepared to watch as the only two male IS pilots in the world were about to fight one another. Jake draws his High Frequency blade and gets ready for his offensive... When he gets a surprise as Ichika contacts him on his coms.

"Uh... Jackson." Ichika said in a somewhat nervous tone.

"What is it Ich... the match is about to start." Jake replies as he remains focused.

"You're not still mad at me for last night are you?" He hears Ichika ask, and Jake could only sigh a little... How did he know he was going to ask him that.

"After this match I won't be Ich." He chuckles, and that just makes Ichika swallow dryly.

"Oh come on JJ... How was I supposed to know that you were going to take the forfeit." Ichika said, Jackson looks over to see that Chifuyu was about to start the match... And smiles as he turns back to Ichika.

"You shoulda thought about that Ich... so you better watch your back buddy... cuz here comes the heat." Saying this, Jackson locks his facial armour and the instant Chifuyu called _Begin!_ He acts first and hits the throttle, Ichika takes a defensive stance as Jake zig zags towards him at a blistering speed, Jackson rotates his body just before reaching his target and back swings his sword, Ichika stands his ground and deflects the blade, but the force of Jakes hit was enough to force him off balance as the black IS shoots pasts. Jake hit the airbrakes and quickly darts back in for another hit, however Ichika is still able to block the attack with his Yukihiria Nigata and shoulder butts the (Storm Ghost) to throw off Jakes balance and force him to stop his dash attacks.

"If you aren't holding back then JJ... Then neither am I." Ichika grunts as he goes on the offensive. He twists his Yukihiria Nigata in his hand and throws out a quick three strike combo, but Jakes reaction time was too sharp and he easily deflects the attack, then he twists his HF Blade as well to strike upwards as Ichika goes for a stab, the counter throws him off balance and Jake takes advantage of this and lands a clean downwards strike on Ichikas chest and shaves of a chunk of his shield energy and forces him to back off.

"Oh, Then this'll be more fun than I thought." Jake chuckles before he goes in on the offensive again, Ichika swings as Jake moves at him, but Jake dukes him and leans right to avoid his strike and chuckles as he opens up with his Plasmatic Energy Cannons. Shots of explosive plasma hit Ichika and took off more of his shield energy before he starts to take evasive actions, Jake quickly goes into hot pursuit and stays on Ichika's tail as the two IS's twist and turn at low altitude. Ichika darts and weaves to avoid Jakes fire, streams of plasma barely missing him as he quickly thinks of a way to turn the tables on him. Then an idea comes up and Ichika looks back to see that Jake was preparing to fire a rocket salvo at him, Ichika times his moment... and the second Jakes rockets are fired, he drives his sword into the ground as his own method of rapid breaking, his IS is spun round by the counter manoeuvre and the (Storm Ghost) shoots pasts him.

"What the!?" Jake said as he looks back to see that it now Ichika that was chasing him down, and could only smile at the thought of being out manoeuvred by him. "Not bad Ich... You can turn with me... but can you keep up with me!"

Saying this, Jackson shoots off at low altitude, swiftly followed by Ichika as he gives chase. The class watch in curious excitement as the two IS's fly at such high speeds so low to the ground. Jake keeps low and fast as Ichika tries to land a strike on him, but every time he tried to cut him off and intercept him, Jake seemed to be one step ahead and rolls to avoid his attacks. Then Jake drops it to the ground, continuing to fly at high speed only a mere two feet from the ground, causing his thrusters to kick up a massive trail of dust behind him. Ichika flies into the dust and vanishes from sight, using his Hyper-Sensors to track Jake's IS he sticks to his tail, looking for a moment where he could take him out with one good strike... then to his luck... Jackson IS seemed to stop turning and was now traveling in a straight line. Ichika ignites his **Reiraku Byakuya** , the glowing white blade lights up for the class to see from inside the dust cloud... gripping the handle of his weapon, Ichika activates his Ignition boost and charges in on Jake, calling out as he swings. "Got you now, JJ."

"I don't think so." He hears Jake snicker... and what happened next was nothing anyone could have seen coming.

Right as Ichika was about to strike him, Jakes Hyper-Dynamic-Air breaks suddenly kicked in and the two flaps on his upper wings shoot open and forces his IS to backflip and lose speed rapidly... Ichika's one shot kill misses as his target flips over the top of him and breaks engagement... Then Ichika looks in front of him.

"OH CRAP!" Was all he was able to yell before his IS smashes into the side of the arena wall and a ground shaking crash fills the air.

"ORIMURA!" Most of the girls cry out in shock, hoping that he wasn't too shaken up from that crash, it hadn't been made clear to him at first, but from the girls perspective they saw what was going to happen pretty clearly... Jackson had played him.

"Hmmmm, Impressive... that was a very interesting tactic." Laura said whilst folding her arms. Charlotte, who was standing next to her nods at the silver hiared girl in agreement. Jake had tricked Ichika by creating that dust cloud to obscure his vison just enough so that he couldn't see what was in front of his IS, and had baited him into using his ignition boost at just the right moment where he had no chance of avoiding that wall.

As the dust clears, they see Ichika lying on his back, dazed from the impact. He quickly looks at his shield and sees that using both his ignition boost and **Reiraku Byakuya** had reduced it to his last reserves and didn't have much left to fight. Just then, he sees Jake land in front on him and before he could get back up, the receiving end of (Storm Ghosts) H.V.R is point directly at him and the barrel inside the cannon glows bright purple as the sound of it charging up rings out in the air. Ichika stays wide eyed at the sight of this thing aiming at him... Surely Jake wasn't gonna fire it at him at his close a range. Even Laura was biting her tongue a little, knowing that cannon was Jake's one shot kill weapon, she wasn't sure herself if he was really gonna do it. Ichika closes his eyes and shields himself with his arms as he prepares for the inevitable, waiting to be blasted into the wall by Jake... when suddenly.

"BOOM!" He heard Jake shout over the coms, nearly startling the life out of him as he somehow assumed that was the cannon firing. Ichika looks back up to see that Jake was laughing brightly at him, amused by the reaction he got out of him as he powers down his H.V.R, and holds a hand out to him, and unlocks the left side of his facial armour to speak more clearly to him. "Man... I got you good that time Ich."

Ichika lets out sigh of relief as he takes Jakes hand and he helps pull him up onto his feet.

"Fine... you got me... but please JJ, for the love of God... don't scare me like that again, I really thought you were gonna fire that thing at me." Ichika said as he pats him on the shoulder, gaining a laugh from Jackson.

"Oh don't worry Ichika... I'm not that cruel, besides... now we're even." He said as he gives Ichika a pat on his shoulder as well, gaining a smile from him as the two IS's walk back to the rest of the class.

"Okay you two, that was a good match, and well played Jackson. That was an interesting tactic to use." Chifuyu said as she debriefed the match, and Jackson was about to thank her for the compliment... when out of nowhere.

"That's JJ for ya... as skilled as he is handsome."

"HUH!?" The entire class said in unison as the sound of a female voice was heard, and then they all turn to stare at Jake when they quickly realised that the voice had come from his IS, and everyone could only shout in shock. "HIS IS CAN TALK! AND IT CALLED HIM HANDSOME!"

Jackson could only just sigh a little as he pinched the bridge of his nose in slight frustration... He knew who's voice that was, so did Ichika, and based on her assumption from her talk earlier that morning with Jake, so did Laura.

"Of all the times Tohka... You just couldn't wait for me to introduce you myself." Jake sighs as he placed his hands on his hips in annoyance, and the female voice from within his IS speaks again.

"Wait... It's been over a week JJ, the only one that knows I'm here is Ich." The voice said, and instantly all eyes turn to Ichika, and he feels a cold sweat coming on as his friends seemed to stare intently at him, wondering what he was hiding. But the rest of the class by now was clueless on what was going on... some of them wondering if there was another girl inside Jakes IS with him or something. Then he turns to Miss. Orimura.

"Pardon me Ma'am, but can I have a moment?" He asked politely, and Chifuyu could only raise a brow at him, unaware herself of what Jake was up to.

"One minute... that's all, I still have a lesson to teach." She said in a stern yet understanding tone. Jake nods his head at her and holds his hand out to the class, before saying. "You got fifty five seconds Tohka... better say hello while you have the chance."

"Yay... Finally." the voice says in excitement, and before anyone could say something, the green lasers on Jakes finger tips light up and the female figure is displayed on the ground in front them for the very first time. She was dressed in a black and purple IS piloting suit like Jakes, but hers looked more like a Japanese style school swim suit and had a diamond shape cut out of the stomach area to expose her belly. The whole class was still gobsmacked at the sight of this, so Tohkawastes no time in breaking the silence.

"Hello everyone My name is I.S.X.I.F Prototype LQ-001... But just call me Tohka for short. I'm Jake's personal A.I. Unit, nice to finally see all of you fro the first time in person." The hologram said through a happy smile and even gives a cute peace sign to the class. The entire group, including Ichika's friends were quite surprised by the sight of this girl... they knew that A.I. technology had been advancing these days... but this was a real shock to them, as this A.I. looked so real to them and talked so human like that it was almost like they were looking at a real person.

"Personal A.I... What does that mean?" One girl asks out of curiosity, and Tohka smiles again as she walks over to the front of the group.

"I'm glad you asked, you see... I'm like Jakes co pilot, my job is to maintain his IS's more complicated functions so he can focus on fighting, I can even repair modules that have sustained moderate damage... but I haven't had to do that for a while though, as you've all probably gotten to see... JJ, is quite the skilled pilot." She said as she turns back to look at Jake with a smile. Gaining a small one back from him.

"You're quite different from what I expected from an A.I., you're much more social... how's that done." Another girl asks, and Tohka acknowledges her question and answers.

"I'm quite a rare breed of A.I's. I'm programed with a Prototype Interface module that allows me to not only communicate with people verbally, but I learn from individuals that I'm around regularly and that's how my personality is developed... And I have to thank JJ's squadron for that... a lot of what makes me so easy and fun to talk to was learned from their personalities."

"I'm not sure if that is a good or a bad thing, Tohka." Jake quietly mutters to himself. Then he hears another girl ask a question that caught his attention pretty damn quick.

"So if you learn from the people you're around most of the time... Then does that mean you know a lot about Jackson-San?" The student asked, and almost instantly the rest of the class turn to Tahko with the most curious of expressions. And Jake glanced over at her as well to see that cheeky smile of hers.

 _Oh no... They asked her... That question!_

 _"_ Oh I know more than just a lot about him." Tohka said with a playful tone, gaining the immediate attention of the whole class, most of them leaning towards her, eager to hear what she was going to say next. And keeping her smile, Tohka says. "I know eeeevvvvveeerrrryyyy thing about him."

"Oooooohhhh." The class said in unison, a lot of them starting to get a little flustered as they think of what the term (everything) meant to them.

"Everything?" One brave girl asks, and Tohka's smile just seemed to turn to a more suggestive one.

"Everything from his personality to his body... I even know exactly how big his - Gwah!" Tohka is suddenly cut off as Jackson closed his fist and shuts off her holographic projector, silencing her as he brings her back into the IS.

"Times up Tohka." He said as he also reduced her verbal program units volume control to make sure no one was going to hear what he thought was about to say. And all the class was just barely able to hear was a moan of disappointment from the A.I. Unit.

"Oh come on Jake... Just when I was having a nice conversation with the class... All I was gonna say was how big your muscles were!" Tohka said in annoyance from being called back by him so abruptly. But Jake just sighs a little at her.

"Muscles huh... Sure Tohka, nice try. I'm not falling for that one, I still remember that you learned a thing or two from my squadron... You've said your hello's for now." Jake said in a sterner tone. Gaining a sigh from his holographic co pilot.

"Fine... but you better let out again at some point." Tohka huffs as she complies. Jake lets off a slight sigh of relief that he had stopped her in time before possibly saying something pretty embarrassing in front of the whole class. Thinking to himself

 _Phew... That was a close one._

Then he looked back at the class and saw that they were all looking at him with a curious expression, now intrigued by the relationship between him and this new face they saw today, and he sees that even Chifuyu was raising a brow at him.

"That normal of this A.I. of yours to act like that?" She asked him, and Jake sighs as he nods at her.

"Unfortunately for me Ma'am... Yes." Jake said to his superior. "Anyway... Thank you for giving me a that minute, how bout we continue the lesson."

The rest of the lesson was pretty eventless after that, the class was ordered to pair up in groups that were lead by Ichika, Jake and the representative contenders and practiced low level flight, running the designated course as ordered by Chifuyu. Practicing the art of maintaining the IS's high speed in a more difficult scenario, and every now and again whilst guiding his partner round the course... Jake glances over to Charlottes group... the group that Luna was put in. He couldn't help but be intrigued by the young girl, not just by her level of skill compared to the rest of the class, also by what he learned earlier that morning about her involvement with the IS... Even he hadn't ever considered building his own personal unit, and finding out she was giving the chance to be the possible representative contender for the United States as well was just as interesting, and he could only fathom just what type of IS she was building... and hoped that he'd get the chance to see it some day. After close to an hour of intensive training, class had finally come to an end and the girls were ordered to go get changed first... While Ichika and Jackson took the time that they were using the locker room to store the training units back in their hangers. The two boys push one on a flatbed trolley together to share the weight, then Ichika broke the silence.

"So JJ... does this match today mean that we're cool now." He asked, referring back to their practice match. And Jake could only chuckle as they push the IS into the hanger, and turns to Ichika with a smile.

"Yeah, Ich... We cool now." He said as he gives him a pat on the shoulder.

"Oh thank god." Ichika sighs in relief. "That's good to hear, bud."

"Just remember this... Now you know not to pull a stunt on me like that again." Jake said in a humouring tone. The two boys continued to store the training IS's away until they were all finished. Ichika had to sit back against the hanger wall to catch his breath from all the heavy lifting, and Jake decided to wait with him, thinking it was better to give the girls a little extra time in the locker rooms... just to be safe from any unwanted accidents. He slides down against the wall next to Ichika and hands his water bottle over to him.

"Wanna drink, buddy." He offers.

"Yeah, thanks JJ." Ichika said gratefully as he takes the water bottle and quenched his throat.

"So... you got any plans for the rest of the day Ich?" Jake asked as Ichika passed his bottle back for him to have a drink himself.

"Well... Houki asked me if I wanted to go shopping with her at the mall today, so I'm going with her and I invited Charl along as well." Ichika said casually, whereas Jake could only sigh a little after hearing that he was inviting Charlotte to something Houki invited him to.

 _You really don't seem to understand how a girls mind works don't you Ichika... Bonehead!_

"You could tag along if you want, JJ." Suggested Ichika.

"Errr, I think I'll pass on that one Ich... I'll just be a third wheel." Jake said as he ponders his mind for something else for him to do for the rest of the day.

"Well... I know Laura is going to be busy later with extra training... So why don't you ask Rin and Cecelia if they want to go to the mall?" He then heard Ichika say outside his thoughts, and turned to look at him with a questioning expression.

"What... you mean like as them on a date or something... cuz that's probably what they'll think I'm doing." He said in a humouring tone, and even Ichika couldn't help but chuckle a little at Jake.

"Maybe not like that... but I'll be honest with you JJ... aside from Laura, those two are usually the hardest out of my friends to get along with. So if you can get some time to hang out with them, that should help." Said Ichika. Jake ponders the thought for a second, and was a little wide eyed that Ichika was able to come up with an idea like that... Guess he wasn't as big a blockhead as he thought.

"When you put it that way... that doesn't sound like that bad of an idea... Looks like I know what I'm doing for today." Said Jake as he looks at his watch to see the time. "Come on, I think the girls should be done by now... lets go get changed and enjoy the rest of the day."

Jake gets up from his spot, swiftly followed by Ichika as they walked over to the locker rooms, which thanks to Jakes decision to wait a little longer were now completely empty. After taking a shower to get cleaned up, Ichika had gotten changed and had left to go find Houki and Charlotte for their outing to the mall, leaving Jake to enjoy the peace as he quietly changes back into his Academy uniform for now... This time, remembering that his hat was on top of the locker to avoid a repeat of what happened last time he left it behind, he even stares intently at the infamous bench that he remembers tripping over and what made him crash into Rin that night.

As Jake walks out of the locker room, he was a little surprised to find Chifuyu standing outside... almost as if she had been waiting for him.

"Jackson." She greets him in a formal, yet casual tone.

"Ma'am." Jake politely replies, even tipping his hat to her as well... though he couldn't help but think that she was here to say more than just a friendly hello... so the only thought in the back of his head was.

 _Okay... What did I do this time?_

"You seemed to enjoy todays practice match against Orimura today didn't you." She asks out of what Jake assumed was curiosity.

"Errr, yeah... I'd say it was a fun match." Jake says casually, trying not to hint at his motive to why he found that match fun. Then Chifuyu raises a brow at him.

"I noticed that you seemed to have been messing with him quite a bit during the match... like you were taunting him... You wouldn't happen to be able to explain that to me would you... it looked like a grudge to me." She asked, her tone growing somewhat sterner now. Although Jake looked pretty calm on the outside... inside, he was starting to feel a sweat of panic coming on... it was like Chifuyu was somehow onto his secret... and knowing that its impossible to get anything round her, he silently takes a breath as he dares to tempt the gift of his words.

"Well... I wouldn't call it a grudge... but I was a little bugged at him, you see Ma'am we had a games session with a few of the girls last night... And Ichika decided to pull a cheap shot on me and put me In a bit of an embarrassing situation... so I messed with him a bit on the field today as payback... but we're even now anyway." Jake said as he carefully explains what happened last night to Chifuyu, but in not so much detail that he gave away what he was bugged at Ichika for.

"An embarrassing situation huh." Chifuyu said bluntly, then she reached into her pocket to remove something before turning back to Jake and saying. "This wouldn't happen to be it now would it."

"Huh?" Jake said as he leans in to see that she was holding her cell phone in front of him... and his jaw suddenly drops and a pang of fear shoots through his body when he sees that the image on the screen... was one of the pictures of him running in his boxers that had been taken. Jake looks back at Chifuyu with a shocked expression at the fact that she had one of those pictures on her phone.

"WHAT THE! HOW DID YOU GET A HOLD OF THA-"

Jake was silenced as Chifuyu drives her fist into the top of his head harder than usual... so hard in fact that his hat jammed to his head, blinding him in darkness as he tried to pry it off of him.

"When Miss. Sarashiki asked me to pit you against Ichika for the match today, I asked for her reason why... and this is what she gave me." Chifuyu said, sighing as she looks at the embarrassing photo of Jake, knowing that there were more of them out there on the students phones... after a few seconds of intensive pulling, Jake finally manages to pull his hat off his head after having it jammed onto him by Chifuyu, but sorta wished it was still jammed on his head to blind him when he sees the angered expression on her face.

"It's been hard enough dealing with the girls since Ichika was introduced, but this... Jackson, do you have any idea how much tougher this little picture of yours is gonna make it... how do you explain that one huh." She said as she folds her arms at him in frustration.

"Believe me... I didn't want to do that run, but like I said... Ichika pulled a cheap shot on me and I had to do that run as a forfeit... you can even ask Tatenashi as a witness." Jake said as he straightens his hat out, explaining his reason to the run to Chifuyu, who just pinches the bridge of her nose in frustration... She knew Jake wasn't one to do stupid things, but seeing this started to make her have second thoughts. However, there was no point dwelling on this now... what happened had happened and she wasn't going to painstakingly check every students phone for this picture and remove it... she just had to hope the girls would behave with it, and on that thought she turns her attention back to Jackson.

"Look... You now know not to do something as crazy as this again, but next time you have a games night with the girls... don't play any games that'll put you in that situation again... okay Jackson."

"Yes Ma'am." Jake said as he bow in apology for his actions. Chifuyu left it at that and went off to carry out her duties for the rest of the day... but as she leave Jacksons sight, he lets off a heavy sigh as something he remembers saying earlier pops into his head.

"How did I know there was gonna be some kinda catch to that trolling kittens little surprise... how else would she have arranged that match without dropping me in it as well." He said as he himself pinches the bridge of his nose in frustration from remembering what a certain blue haired girl had said to him before training started... and mentally kicks himself for falling for her catch.

"Oh well... That's the last time I trust her words so easily." He says as he walks down the hall to head back to the dorm. He could dwell on that thought later... for now, he was gonna see if he could find Rin and Cecelia to aske if they wanted to go shopping for the rest of the day with him. Ichika was right, the more time he spent around his friends in smaller groups... the more likely he'd be able to get along with them better.

And personally... after discovering how trollish Tatenashi can be... he felt like being on the girls good side... was gonna be his best chance of surviving the rest of the year here.


	14. Shopping Trip

Chapter:14

Shopping Trip

* * *

"Where's Jackson... He better not be ditching us... I swear if he is." Rin said as she clenched her fist from the thought of being ditched by Jake as some kinda prank. Both her and Cecelia were waiting for him at the monorail station which was were the three of them had agreed to meet up at before going out for a shopping trip at the mall. Admittedly, Rin was a little stuborn at first and was pretty surprised when the young American knocked on her door to ask her if she wasn't too busy today for going out with him and Cecelia... and nearly accused him of trying to ask her out on a date of some sorts, something that only made Jackson chuckle a little from her reaction. But in the end, she decided that he would at least give him a chance to try and do a little social bonding with her, as a way of her saying thank you to him for taking a bullet for her, and not mentioning anything to the others about her incident with him in the locker room during their games night.

"I'm sure that he wouldn't do such a thing, Rin." Cecelia said modestly as she smiles at her friend. "It's still ten minutes before the time we agreed to meet up here."

"I guess so... but still, he better not ditch us... He's lucky I even said yes to showing up." Rin Huffs, puffing out her cheeks as she did so.

"Still... It was rather nice of him to ask us to accompany him to the mall, it would be nice to see what he's like in a more social state... and we don't have to worry about Tatenashi getting in anyone's way." Cecelia said with a smile. She was a lot easier for Jake to ask to join him, in fact... she thought it was a little charming of him to want to spend time around the Representative Contender of Great Britain. So she decided to dress for the occasion, picking out a nice light blue and white dress with flowers patterned round the gown of it, and even brought her little white umbrella to keep herself shaded, while Rin had taken a more casual approach, wearing a pair of shorter than normal navy blue shorts, green shirt, burgundy hoodie, black thigh socks and brown timblerland boots. The two girls sit on the bench at the station and casually pass the time by looking out the station windows to gaze out at the beautiful weather out side... But they didn't have to wait that long before a male voice was heard in the near distance.

"Hey girls... sorry if I kept you waiting a while for me." They hear Jake saying as he walks round the corner.

"Oh don't worry, Jackson... You aren't late at al- Huh!" Cecelia is suddenly cut off when she actually turns to see Jake, and Rin picked up on this pretty quick only to have the same surprised look on her face when she to turns to look at him, with only one thought that could be brought to her mind by the sight of him.

 _And I thought Cecelia dressed for the occasion._

It seemed that Jake's idea of casual clothing was a little more... Bold, than what most people would be comfortable with. He was wearing his lucky hat, as well as a dark blue long sleeve Super-Dry shirt that had a white and black snake which was coiled up in a striking pose, hand stitched into the shirt on the right side of his chest, his attire also had a pair of black boot-cut Jeans that were paired with a white belt with a large metal buckle of a hissing Viper head, and hugged his legs just enough to show their muscular definition along with a pair of Black pointed formal leather shoes, which were decorated along the side with genuine Snake skin... But the boldest thing out of his attire, had to have been the black leather jacket he was wearing, which was not only lined on the inside with red silk, but on the Jackets cuffs, elbows, collar and running up his back in a series of V shapes that started small at the waist but gradually grow bigger up to the neck... It was fused with the skin or the Eastern Diamond-Back Rattle Snake.

Both Rin and Cecelia were a little shocked at the way he was dressed as they'd never seen an attire like this, not that they didn't like it, but quietly they were both probably thinking the same thing...

 _Geez... That dress code actually makes him look rather appealing._

As Jake walks up to the two girls, he picks up on them staring at him a little and chuckles.

"Too much." He said as he points at his attire.

"No-no-no not at all, Jackson." Cecelia quickly said as she shakes her head. "Its just... I wasn't expecting something so... Reptilian."

"Yeah... You know you'll stick out quite a bit looking like that." Rin said while scanning her eyes over Jakes attire. It was blatantly clear that his dress code was attracting the attention of all the other students that saw him, a lot of them whispering and gossiping to each other about attractive the young American looked, and how his attire gave him a mysterious, yet dangerous charm about him. Jackson just shrugged his shoulders at them a little.

"Eh, I've never really cared about anything bad that people said about how I dress... besides... We Texans take a lot of pride in our cultural dress code." Jake said with a smile, causing Rin and Cecelia to look at each other for a second, then back at Jake.

"From the look of you... I'd say a lot of pride indeed." Said Cecelia.

"Either that or bravery and not caring what others think of the clothes you were." Rin added.

"Maybe a bit of both... but thanks for the compliment." Jake said through a smile, then turns his attention to the two girls chosen attires. "Anyway, you two look rather nice today as well."

His compliment only made the two girls blush a little, as they hadn't been complimented like that before.

"Oh, well thank you Jake. I'm glad you think so." Cecelia said, her cheeks still a little pink from that.

Their train arrived and the three students got on board to head for the mall, the ride was a little uneventful and they only engaged in light small talk until the train reaches its stop at the city mall. Jackson stretches his arms out as he walks into the mall with Rin and Cecelia. Looking around he was pretty surprised of the size of the place, as well as the multitude of different cultures that were selling their nations products, and the inviting atmosphere that it generally brought its customers.

"So, Where should we go first?" Jake asked, seeing that he wasn't familiar with this place and gave the girls the opportunity to pick somewhere. Rin and Cecelia ponder their minds for a second to think of somewhere, then Rin clicked her fingers as an idea pops into her head.

"How bout Lolenzo's, that's an all around type of shop... there's probably something for all of us there." She suggests.

"That's sound like a good idea." Jake said in agreement, and the three of them make their way to the shop. They walk through the crowd, but as they do, the trio notice that it seemed like quite a few people were glancing at them, most of them being young women that spotted the Texan and his _unique_ attire. They began to gossip and whisper to each other about their opinion on the young man, some thinking he looked rather attractive, some seeing him as a shifty character, even a few girls felt a little fearful of his appearance, Jake just ignored it though, he was more than sure he was being watched from all angles. It wasn't the first time that had happened. He had a strange allure about his image that would intrigue people to wonder what mystery his life revealed, yet at the same time most people were afraid to approach him because that mysterious allure of his looked as dangerous as it well as charming... and thought it was a safer option not to get involved with anything regarding the young Texan.

Rin and Cecelia picked up on the many locals that were glancing at both of them and Jake, and decided not to make much of a scene out of it... They to, assumed that it was Jake's dangerous yet charming look that was drawing in all the attention. They reach the shop that they were looking for near the centre of the mall, walking in, Jake could see what Rin meant by an all round type of shop. It was like a little mall inside the mall, having multiple different sections to cater to almost everything a customer would look for from clothing to fine jewellery.

Jake, Rin and Cecelia walk into the shop, Unknown to them that a certain silver haired girl was standing nearby and quietly watching them. Despite standing out a bit in her IS academy uniform, she was hidden from their sight by hiding behind a large pillar. She had learned from her previous attempt to spy on Jake, and knowing he would be aware of people looking at him... This time, she was able to remain undetected. She was observing him from a distance to try and learn his movements and see if she could point out his intentions regarding other women at the academy... Granted, she was aware that the battle for Ichika was still as fierce as before, if she could learn anything from Jakes behaviour around other girls on a social level, then perhaps she could utilise that to her advantage and blindly set his sights on one... Or if she's lucky, two of her rivals to thin out the competition.

"field report... Target enters shopping facilities at 13:43pm, accompanied by two rivals. So far no concrete information is harvested... Now relocating to continue observation task." Laura said as she tracks her progress on her tape recorder. And with her mission at the front of her mind, she stealthily moves into the shop to continue watching the trio as they carry on shopping.

As time slowly passes by, Jake, Rin and Cecelia walk around the shop to see if the three of them could find something they liked, the trio engage in like small talk, mostly regarding things like movies the three of them have seen or things like what they liked to do in their spare time. That was when Rin and Cecelia learned that Jake owned a motorcycle as he usually spent his spare time working on it and fine tuning the engine when he was back at base in America.

"So you ride a bike, Jake." Cecelia said as they walk through the homeware section of the shop, where she had decided to buy herself a rather nice tea set for her room.

"Yep, it's a real beauty... I spend a lot of time when I'm off duty tuning her engine to get the most out of her." Jake said as the three of them come into the sports section, but Rin raises a brow at Jake.

"You just called your bike _Her..._ Your not one of those boys that prefer machines over girls are you?" She said, only gaining a bit of a chuckle from Jake... He was pretty sure there was a movie he remembered hearing that reference from.

"Nah... I'm just a bit of a grease monkey sometimes... I spent a lot of my time working on engines and machines back at base when I was board, working on them is child's play compared to working on the IS." He chuckles, and as he does... Jake stopped walking when something in the shop caught his attention. "Huh, That looks pretty cool."

Rin and Cecelia look over to see that he was moving in the direction of the ball game section... the baseball isle to be more specific, there the saw a multitude of different accessories for the sport such as balls, caps, shirt, gloves and a vast array of different styles of bats ranged from their size, material and pricing. Jake walks down the isle till he sees the item that had caught his attention... He pick the aluminium bat off its shelf, it was painted jet black and was patterned with a picture of an intimidating pit viper that coiled round the bat and was baring its venomous fangs at the top of it. Jake grips the bats handle and takes a few slow swings to try it out, feeling the weight of it and how comfy it was.

"You play ball much Jake?" Rin asked.

"Every now and then, but I'd rather pass some time by just whacking baseballs out of out of the base." Jake said as he holds the bat in his hand. Taking a liking to it pretty quickly and decided that he'd buy it. As he was busy looking at the bat, Rin nudged Cecelia in the side to quietly get her attention. And quietly putting a finger to her lips, she turns back to Jake.

"You don't mind if we have a look somewhere else for a moment Jackson... Me and Cecelia need to go to the bathroom, could we meet back here in about ten minutes." She asked, and Jake turns back to her with a bit of a Questioning look... He wasn't sure why the young girl was needing that much time to go to the bathroom... but he wasn't one to push for answers, so he just nods at her and said.

"Errr, sure... I don't mind... I'll just mosey around here for some baseballs."

With a thankful smile, Rin turns and heads off with Cecelia following her, walking to their destination.

"Think he'll have fallen for that?." Cecelia asked, looking over her shoulder to make sure Jake was out of their sight.

"I'm sure he should have, he seemed pretty generous about giving us a moment... and he probably thinks the bathroom is a fair distance from here." Rin replied. They hadn't mentioned this to Jake... but they had one thing they wanted to do while they were out. They had come to a mutual understanding with each other regarding the battle for Ichika, and seeing that they had tried many different tactics... all that have failed due to his denseness. They had decided to step up their game, and as they reach the section of the shop that they agreed to accompany each other to... They still couldn't help but stop outside it and swallow dryly at the thought of them walking into... a lingerie shop.

"Are you sure this is a good idea Rin... This is by far one of the boldest places we've gone to in public." Cecelia said nervously, but Rin seemed to be pretty serious about the idea.

"Look, we've tried everything else in trying to get Ichika, and nothing has worked... We need to step up our game." She said as she takes a step towards the shop, then turns back to she that the British girl was still looking a little nervous, and smirks at her. "Look, if you're too scared, I'll just pop in get what I need and get the advantage in the battle for Ich-"

"Now hold on a second, who said I was scared!" Cecelia snaps as she steps up next to Rin. "I'm not backing out of this either."

"Fine then... But lets just hurry up now, we need to find something that'll do the job before Jake realises where we went." Said Rin, and with Cecelia nodding in agreement as the, the two girls bravely walk into the lingerie shop.

 _Ten minutes later..._

Meanwhile, whilst waiting for Rin and Cecelia to meet back up with him, Jackson was browsing the sports clothing nearby the spot where he picked up his bat from. Looking around he came across a pink cap that had a picture of a hornet bearing its sting, and couldn't help but chuckle when he saw that it had the words (Cute but Deadly) written on the front of it.

"I think I'll get this as a gift for Lola, he chuckles to himself as he recalls his squadron's second in commands nickname was (Stinger) and the whole Cute but Deadly persona would fit her pretty well in his mind, plus he was sure he'd get a good laugh out of her for this. However as he looks at the cap, he is still unaware that a certain girl was watching his every move. Popping her head round the corner of a nearby isle, she observes her target, but realises that he is on his own now.

"Field report... Both Rivals have abandoned the target and is now shopping solo. Although it appears to be rather standard... Target is showing that he finds enjoyable humour in finding cute references that correlate towards girls... Continuing to observe target." She said as she continues to keep track of her progress, when suddenly Jake looks in her direction... forcing her to retreat back behind the isle.

"Huh?" Jake muttered as he raised a brow, sensing something unusual in the atmosphere. He approached the isle and looks down only to see that it was empty, but he follows his instincts and walks down the Isle, coming out the other side he was met by a vast array of circular clothes rails carrying everything from cheap shirts to expensive fur coats, walking round the many rails, Jake was seeing if he could sense that unknown presence again... but the trail had weakened, but then he heard a rustle behind him... from inside the leather jacket rail. Walking up to the rail, Jake was about to push the jackets aside to see if someone was hiding in there... but before he did, someone called him out.

"Excuse me handsome, can you come here for a second."

Jake turned around to see that a young woman, roughly in her later twenties and wearing a rather revealing back suit with a mini skirt was waving at him... That's when he noticed the shop that she was presumably working in... The Lingerie shop. Jackson, clearly unsure of what this girl wanted from him in the first place, pointed at himself and gave her a pretty confused expression... Which only made the woman smile at him from across the shop.

"Yes, of course you... come on, don't be shy." The woman says kindly as she gestures Jake to walk into the shop.

Jackson was still a little baffled at what this woman wanted from him, but not wanting to disappoint this rather kind girl he decided to just go with it... after all, its just a lingerie shop, what's the worst to encounter there? He walks away from the clothes rail he was standing next to and heads in the direction of the shop... And back at the clothes rail, a black leather hat rises up as a certain little bunny pops her head out of her hidey hole to check that she was clear.

"Phew... that was way too close." Laura sighs in relief, for she had nearly blown her cover a second time now in spying on Jake, and it was fortunate that he had been called away to that other shop or he might have found her. Laura scoots her way out of the clothing rail and decided that now would be an optimum time to continue her mission... but as she started wondering around to see where her target had gotten off to, something caught her eye.

"Oooohhh, that actually looks pretty nice." She said as she walked past the ladies Jackets and spotted a rather nice leather one that looked to be her size, the jacket being a pretty good combination of cute being that it was decorated with a cute little pink bunny on the left side of the chest, and deadly as its shoulders were lined with metal spike that gave it a striking look... And as Laura is distracted by the Jacket... she is completely unaware that her target was about to walk into the best place for her to gather information for her mission.

Jackson walks into the Lingerie store, and it was pretty much what he would have expected from a place like this. Just endless varieties of different types of panties, bra's, exotic gowns, seducing outfits and even a few adult toys on the shelves at the back of the store for the more braver buyers in his opinion. However he soon spots the girl that called him in here in the first and makes his way of to her to find out why she wanted a young man to walk into such a place for whatever reason.

"Errr, can I help you Miss?" Jake asked.

"Indeed you can." The woman smiles. "You see, I had a couple of customers come in to find an attire that best suited them... and because I saw earlier that you seemed to be a friend of there's and a young man as well, I thought I'd get your opinion for them... so tell me."

And before Jake could say anything, the woman pulls out two pairs of very revealing black panties and bra's from behind her and asked.

"Is this something you would recommend for your friends." She said with a smile.

Jake on the other hand was a little surprised at the sight of the attires that he was being shown, but that wasn't what was at the front of his mind... he didn't need long to know exactly who the woman was talking about... and sure enough, when he turns to his left, he could only chuckle a little as he folds his arms at a very flustered Rin and Cecelia who were trying their best to hide their embarrassment... but were failing horribly.

"So... this is what you meant by taking a bathroom break." He said through a smirk, this making the woman look at the two girls herself.

"Oh... I'm so sorry ladies... was these meant to be a surprise for him?" She asked, her question even causing Jackson to look at her surprisingly as Rin and Cecelia's faces burn up even more now.

"N,n,n,n,n,no... of course not." Cecelia quickly but sheepishly replies to try and explain.

"Yeah... besides, its no ones business what we get these for." Rin snaps as well. The two girls were pretty red in the face now, hoping that Jake wasn't going to figure out what their real intentions for coming into this shop and buying such lewd clothing... But to their surprise, Jake seemed to be looking at the attires with a curious look, even placing a thumb under his chin... as if he was deep in thought about something. The shop assistant notices this as well.

"Something the matter young man?" She asked, but Jake just looks at her with a calm expression.

"Yeah, I'm fine... I'm just not sure if these attires would best suit my friends." He said, causing both Rin and Cecelia to look at each other in confusion, both with one thought in mind.

 _Just what is Jackson up to now? What does he mean?_

"And what would you mean by that." The shop assistant asks, smiling in curiosity of what the young boy was thinking.

"Don't get me wrong." Jake said as he looks over the two attires the girls had picked. "Both are really good, any guy would fall for them... but in my opinion, they just don't seem to suit their characteristics that well."

Just then Jake spots something behind the shop assistant and peers by her to get a better look... then turned to the girls.

"If I had to put in my opinion, Cecelia... I'd say that would suit your elegance and classy beauty a lot more." Saying this, Jackson points behind the assistant to point out a light blue night gown that was hanging on the wall. It was a decent length, not too revealing and the hem stopped just past the hips, the gown was made out of pure silk fabric and was decorated with white flowers around the hem and neck line.

"I say... a good choice their young man, I see you have a good eye... wouldn't you agree miss." Said the shop assistant as she puts the two black attires down and retrieves the night gown and holds it out for the Blonde British girl to get a better look at. Looking at the gown, Cecelia was still a little surprised that Jake was actually being so calm about the whole ordeal and even considering to help with her choice... She wasn't sure if he was away of why she was buying lingerie in the first place... or if he was just taking advantage of the situation to get to buy something more to his taste. However, after taking a few seconds more to admire the dress... she realised that in some way... Jake was right, it wasn't as lewd as the first attire she picked, yet it still seemed to have an unknown allure to it that she would suit. Even Rin was starting to see the logic in Jakes choice.

"Errr... indeed, in fact... I actually quite like it, I'd feel more comfortable in this." Said Cecelia as she takes the dress and looks over it. Then the assistant turns to Jake again.

"And what about your other friend sir... do you think you can find something better suited for her?" She asked. Jake looks at Rin for a second and ponders his thoughts before speaking out.

"To me... I'd say the best thing for you Rin... Because you're quite the fiery souled type, you would be better off with something that appeals more to that unknown cuteness that you have about yourself." He said, causing Rin to blush a little from the embarrassment of hearing Jake say something like that so openly in public. But before she could say anything to him, the shop assistant spoke up.

"You mean something like this." She said, and as the three of them turn, they see that she was holding a different attire in her hands. Jake couldn't help but chuckle a little, it seemed the shop assistant was onto what Jake was implying, and while he was explaining his logic to Rin, she had gone off and fetched a pair of woman's underwear.

"Errrr, yeah... something along that line. What do you think Rin?" Jake asked her, Rin looks at the attire that the shop assistant was holding. They were a pair of bright pink panties and bra that had a cute little panda lying on its back stitched into the left cup and another sitting with a smile on the front of the panties. The attire was lace with a frilly white outline around every edge and the more Rin looked at the attire... the more she was seeing what Jake was trying to point out. And considering she wasn't going to cause a scene in this place, she had decided to actually think about it, and to Jakes luck... she agrees.

"You know... as little as I usually take others advice so quickly... I actually agree with you on this one. These are actually pretty cute." She said, still blushing a little, and the shop assistant smiles at the two girls.

"It seems like you two have a pretty good and honest friend here." She said as she smiles at Jackson, who mutually returns the smile. And after this little ordeal was sorted, both Rin and Cecelia decided to buy the attires that Jackson had pointed out for them. The two girls head over to the counter to pay for their clothes while Jake went outside to wait for them.

Meanwhile, in another section of the shop, Laura walks around to try and relocate Jackson for her task from earlier on. She had gotten distracted earlier when she caught sight of a rather nice leather jacket that seemed to get her attention pretty well, a jacket that was now hanging from her arm inside a bag after she bought it. Laura walks round a corner... but instantly doubles back when she sees the young American standing outside a shop and hides back round the corner, and reaches for her voice recorder.

"Status report, Target has been relocated and is still solo, no sign of rivals in the area... continuing mission as of now." She says into the recorder before peering round the corner to spot Jackson, who seemed to still be unaware of her presence, then he hears the voices of his two friends as they walk out of the shop whilst carrying their newly bought attires.

"So... Now that's been sorted, how about we find somewhere where we can sit down for a bit and grab a bite, what do you say you two?" Jake asks the two girls... and concidering the two of them hadn't eaten that much today, they give him a light smile and nod at him.

"That sounds like a good idea, I was actually feeling a little hungry just now." Said Rin.

"Indeed, and I think I know a good place for all of us." Cecelia said as she takes lead and walks in the direction of the café she had in mind, both Rin and Jake following her. And once they had gained some distance, Laura pops out from her corner to follow them... she passes the store she saw Rin and Cecelia walk out of.

"Huh... Oh on... you gotta be joking." She said as she realises just what type of place the shop was, and mentally slaps herself when she realises that in the time she had been distracted by buying her jacket... she missed a perfect opportunity for her to have gathered some vital information on Jake for her mission, but lost the chance.

"Damnit..." She curses herself. "I blew a good chance... My Instructor would be so disappointed in me for this."

Felling like she shouldn't waste any more time before another chance passes, Laura quickly bolts off to try and find her target again.

Meanwhile, Jake, Cecelia and Rin had reached the café they were going to stop at for a little bit. Walking into the café Jake could see that it was an authentic Victorian style café that focused on British cuisine and drinks. They take a seat near the window that over looked most of the city district outside the mall and the waiter approaches the three teenagers.

"Afternoon you lot, welcome to our café, my I take your orders." The waiter said politely as she takes out her pad and pen to write their orders.

"I'll have tea and scones please." Said Cecelia.

"I'll have a chicken and stuffing sandwich with a lemonade, please." Rin answered.

"Okay, and how about you young sir." The waiter asks as she turns to Jackson, who was still looking at his menu.

"I think I will have the BLT sandwich with a Cola please." He said. And as the waiter wrote down his order, she couldn't help but ask him a question.

"You've got quite a strong tone in your voice young man, I take it you're from overseas." She asked.

"That would be correct Miss. I'm from Texas." Jackson said with a smile, which seemed to gain one back from the waiter.

"Ah I see, so what brings you to Japan?" She asked.

"I'm a transfer student at the local university... I'm studying for a degree in IS research and development." Jake said.

"Ah, very interesting, well I wish you luck with your studies... I hear that any work in the IS Project is rather good now." The waiter said as she gives her goodbyes and heads off to pass their orders to the chefs. Rin and Cecelia didn't need to say anything, they saw what Jake was doing, after all it would definitely bring attention if he was to say he was an IS pilot. So they weren't gonna judge him for making a little white lie to cover up his true involvement with the IS Project. That being said, Jackson leans back in his chair and smiles at the two girls.

"So, you two enjoying the day so far." He asks to break the silence.

"Yes, I'd say that today has been rather enjoyable so far." Cecelia said kindly as she smiles at Jake.

"I'd say the same." Said Rin.

"Good to hear... and I'm sure Ichika will like the little things you got at that shop as well." Jake suddenly chuckles, gaining a shocked looked from Cecelia, and intensive stare from Rin.

"What's that meant to mean." they both said in unison, gaining another light chuckle from Jake.

"Oh come on you two... I might be American, but my head ain't as thick as tank armour." Jake said as he leans forward and rests his elbows on the table and smirks at the two girls. "Those Attires you got look like they need a pretty special occasion to wear... and since there's only one male in the academy because I'm not part of this... I pretty much figured it out straight off the bat... I just wasn't going to make a big deal out of it."

Rin and Cecelia look at each other for a minute and could only mentally kick themselves... of course it would be too much to ask for Jake to be dumb enough to figure out what they were planning... because unlike Ichika, Jackson was far from dense.

"So why bring it up?" Cecelia asked.

"I'm just curious as to how the heck you'll pull off whatever you got planned with him, because I gotta be honest girls... That guy isn't the sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to understanding how a girls mind works." Jake chuckles.

"So are you some kinda expert or something." Rin huffs, but just then the waiter comes back with their food and drinks, so Jake holds off on the conversation just for now.

"Here you are... enjoy." The waiter said with a smile as she places the three students orders down on the table. And after she leaves, Jake goes back to the subject.

"Well... not an expert, but I'm more aware than Ich is." Saying this he picks up his glass and brings it to his lips. "It's thanks to my squad that I know these things... but Jesus did they make it an awkward and challenging set of lessons."

After saying that, Jackson takes a sip of his drink, whereas both Rin and Cecelia look at each other for a second, wondering what he meant by that.

"What do you mean by that Jake, come to think of it... What is your Squadron like if you don't mind me asking." Cecelia asked, and as she said that, Jake puts his glass down and leans forward again, his face carrying a small humouring smile on him.

"Well... My girls back at FEISAR are a... _Unique_ bunch." He said, sounding a little disturbed by his own words.

"What do you mean by that? Rin asked.

"I guess there's not really another way of putting it you two, you see... after a couple of weeks at base after becoming a member of the I-S-X-C-S, I was around them for quite some time... and because of that." Jake takes another sip of his drink before he thinks of how he was gonna break this to the two girls in front of him. "They all started to get a bit of a high-school crush on me... And They aren't the most subtle when it came to expressing that."

Saying this, Jake could only shake his head a little at the thought of some of the things he'd gone through with his squad when no one was on mission, and this only spurred Rin and Cecelia's curiosity even more.

"Take it they made it tough to pick Huh." Rin cackles, but Jake just looks back at her with a somewhat serious look on his face.

"Nope... They made it tough for me to make it through one day without having something strange happen to me." He answered.

"Strange?... Were they really that bad?" Asked Cecelia, and Jake just nods at her.

"Real bad... There were days when I was wrestled to the ground by them, chased round base by them, tricked on dates by them, caught in the crossfire when they tried sabotaging each other... I even had one time when I wake up and both Freya and Mini had snuck into my room and just snuggled up with me when I was asleep." Jake placed a palm on his forehead and shook his head again as he recalls the reaction he gave when that happened. "Those two damn near gave me a heart attack when they did that."

Just then he hears both Rin and Cecelia give off a light chuckle, and looks up to see them smiling at him.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"Oh nothing." Rin said with a smirk. "Its just, you seem to be making it sound like your squad are more dangerous to you than any mission you've been on."

"In a way... yeah, they were." Jake said, chuckling a little at her joke. "But Mercifully they have calmed down a bit now, but man was it tough for the fist few months at base."

"You know Jake." Said Cecelia as she leans forward. "It's actually a little interesting to hear about this side of you regarding your squad... if I may ask... What would you think was the toughest thing they put you through." She asked out of curiosity. Jackson leans back for a second and ponders his thoughts... but then his eyes widened a little when a memory pops into his head.

"Oh Dear God... You just reminded me of that incident that happened on Valentines Day." Saying this, Jake pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration and shook his head yet again as he remembers the sheer madness that he endured that day. "Jesus that was bad... how I survived that day without a scratch is beyond me."

Rin and Cecelia look at each other, wondering from Jakes reaction to the question on just how bad that incident... and from seeing how tough he is after these last couple of weeks... it must've been one hell of a situation for him.

"How bad was it." Rin asked.

"All of them came after me that day... and man was it crazy... especially what Freya had planned." Jake said, shuddering at the thought of that particular moment of the day.

"Really... What did she do?" Asked Cecelia.

Jackson paused for a moment, and after looking over his shoulder to see that the café was pretty crowded, he turned back to the two girls and chuckles after he realised how much he'd said and just shook his head before saying. "Something I cant really say so publicly... besides, I think I've already said too much."

At that point, both Rin and Cecelia just sighed and shook their heads as well, feeling like they had just been lead on by Jake.

"Seriously Jackson... you're gonna do that after building it up so much." Rin huffed, but Jake could only smile a little at her.

"I'm afraid so... but I'll tell you what, next time we play spin the bottle and you get me... then I'll spill what happened." He proposed.

"Can't you at least hint to what happened?" Asked Cecelia, who was still very curious as to what happened. Jake looks over his shoulder again to make sure no one behind him was gonna hear and leans forward to the two girls to drop a hint, causing both of them to lean forward as well to hear as he quietly said.

"Lets just say that she got a little over creative with the chocolate syrup... and when Mimi got involved, the next thing I find myself doing is busting through a two inch thick steel door to get the Hell outta there."

As the three of them lean back in their seats, both Rin and Cecelia have the same shocked expression on their faces after hearing that, both with the same thought in their heads.

 _What the Heck did those two do?_

"That's all I'm saying for now." Said Jake as he turns his attention to his food, when both the girls said.

"Your squad sound like they're pretty crazy Jake."

Jackson chuckles at them and simply replied by saying. "I'd be worried if they weren't... you've gotta be crazy to survive as a member of my Squadron."

After that little conversation, the three of them just decided to leave it at that before it got any stranger... but for Rin and Cecelia, it was interesting to at least learn a little about Jake's squad... despite it being that they seemed to as little crazy, and it was interesting to learn that despite his toughness... it turned out that Jake wasn't always as tough as he seemed when it came to dealing with the more daring of females... guess that's why he is the guy he is today, the only question was... does he have thank his squad for that, or curse them for the way he was taught... maybe both.

As they engaged in light conversation while enjoying their food, Jackson had a thought of his own on his mind.

 _I wonder if Ich is having as interesting as day as I am?_

* * *

Meanwhile, somewhere else at the mall, Ichika, Houki and Charlotte were walking around after stopping off at another clothes shop to buy a few things. Ichika had asked both of them if they wanted to come out with him for the day, and as happy as they looked on the outside, deep down they were both wishing they could pumble him for once again... being a total block head and make them think that he was asking them on a date, only to find out that he didn't have that thought in his mind when he asked. The three of them quietly walked around the mall, looking for another shop to have a look in, when Ichika decided to break the silence.

"I wonder if we'll bump into Jackson here today?" He said casually, causing the two girls to look at him.

"He here as well?" Asked Charlotte.

"Yeah... He was here with Rin and Cecelia." Ichika said, and after hearing this, Houki and Charlotte both raise a brow.

"So that's where they were..." They both thought quietly to each other. The two of them had been wondering why those two hadn't been around with them... but once they found out that Jackson was out with them, it was a little reassuring for them that they at least were distracted for now.

"I'm wondering if he's coping with those two... after all, they were the first two that he had to fight on his first day. So I'm a little surprised to hear that they even considered going out with him after beating them in front of the school." Houki said, causing Charlotte to nod at her in agreement.

"I'd have agree with Houki, It seems a bit odd of those two to just let something like that go so easily." She added, but Ichika just lets off a light chuckle at them.

"I'm sure he's fine... he's a tough one to say the least, besides... it was me that suggested to him that he hangs out with them to try and make sure he's at least on their good side after that match." He said, but as he does, he notices that Houki and Charlotte were looking at him with a rather intensive stare that was nearly enough to put him out of his comfort zone.

"Errrrr, Guys... what's with the stares?" Ichika asks, his voice stuttered a little bit from the chill that the girls stares were sending down his spine.

"You suggested that he did that..." Charlotte said, sounding a little concerned by this.

"Was that a bad thing." Replied Ichika.

"You idiot." Houki sighs as she shook her head at him. "Did you not think of the chance that idea could go wrong for Jake... and if it does... we all know who he's coming after in the end."

Just then, Ichika felt a horrible shiver race down him. He hadn't thought of that... and not taking into account that Rin or Cecelia could still have a grudge of some sort against, if something was to happen to him... Then Jake would be coming right back to him for payback again. Something that he really was wanting to avoid as much as he could.

"Oh man." Ichika swallows dryly as he tries not to think of what he might of gotten into. "I didn't think of that... Now all I can do is hope that nothing bad happens to JJ... or I'm in some real trouble then."

Houki and Charlotte could only shake their heads at their idiotic friend, unable to understand how he gets into these messes without realising. As they walked around the mall, Houki then needed to use the restroom, so Charlotte said she'd hold her bags and the three of them agreed to meet back up at Starbucks when she was done.

After using the restroom, Houki was washing her hands, thinking about what she'd heard today.

"(Sigh) Sometimes I wonder if he does these things on purpose." She thought herself. "It would be common sense to think that Rin and Cecelia might still be sore at Jackson for beating them."

After Houki finished washing her hands, she turns round to exit the restroom, but as she does, she accidently bumps into another woman, who was wearing a black and white suit, causing her to drop her purse and spill its contents on the ground.

"Oh my, I'm so sorry Ma'am... I didn't see you there." Houki apologised to the woman.

"Its okay young lady." The woman said, being surprisingly understanding of her mistake. "I didn't mean to get so close to you."

"Still, let me help you pick up your items." Houki said, feeling that it was her responsibility and kneels down to clean up her mess.

"Oh thank you miss, you're ever so kind. "The woman said as she gets down on one knee as well to help. She placed a hand on Houki's shoulder, which she thought she was doing to keep her balance... but then she hears the suited woman speak again.

"A little too kind."

Houki sensed from her tone that the woman was smirking as she said that, but before she could even react... a sudden charge of electricity surged through her body.

"AAHHHHRRGG!" She cries out as she feels the electrifying pain rip through her, unable to break free from the woman's grasp as she quickly feels herself losing her strength and control of her body... and sure enough, Houki collapses to the floor as she loses consciousness and lies on the bathroom floor, knocked out cold from being tazed. The woman grins at the unconscious girl as she stands up, looking at the hand she had touched her with to reveal that she had a portable stun device strapped to her palm that she used to knock Houki out. Then she pressed two fingers against the side of her ear.

"Talon 3 Reporting, Target is immobilised, begin stage 2." She says into the earpiece she was wearing, and within a few moments, the bathroom door opens as two more females in black suits walk into the room bringing a wheelchair with them. The two women look at the stunned girl and chuckle at her in amusement.

"She doesn't look so dangerous." One said bluntly as they begin to pick Houki's unconscious body up and place her into the wheel chair.

"Agreed." Said the woman that had stunned her, giving off a light laugh as well. "You know, I'm a little disappointed though... for a member of the Shinonono family... I was expecting her to have put up more of a fight... But in honesty, she walked right into my trap... such a pitiful excuse for a Samurai."

The three woman strap Houki to the chair and use a white blanket to cover her restraints, making it look like she was just a young woman that had fallen asleep and that they were her escorts... just as they had planned out.

"Well... Now that we have our Target, now we need to get out of here before her friends realise that she's gone." The leader of the group said, and with that thought in mind, the three hit women wheel her out of the restroom... and begin their path towards the mall exit.

With none of her friends aware that as they waited... One of their best friends was being abducted.


	15. The Abduction

Chapter:15

The Abduction

* * *

"Good bye and enjoy the rest of your day." The waiter said to Jackson, Rin and Cecelia as they left the café after stopping off for lunch, gaining a friendly goodbye from the three teenagers as well as Jake tipping his hat to her in good manner.

"So, what should we do next." Cecelia asked.

"Hmmm, well... it's still early in the afternoon just now." Rin said as she tries to think of something to do.

"Well how about we have a look at the movie store... maybe we can find something all of us can watch next time we have another games night." Jake suggested, and since both the girls hadn't been able to think of anything better to do as of now they both nod at him in agreement. So the three of them make their way towards the shop, casually engaging in light conversation as they did so.

"So Jake, about your Squad." Cecelia asked, still a little curious about some things after the conversation the three of them had had whilst enjoying their lunch in the café. "Are they always as crazy as you said they were, or is that just something they when they're bored?"

Jake just chuckles a little at that, he somehow knew he was going to be asked more questions about his girls back at base... so he decided to at least tell them a little more about the... more serious side of them.

"Well the thing is Cecelia, as crazy as they can get sometimes... luckily for me it only seems to happen at base." Jake said as the three of them reach an escalator to head up to the next floor. As they step onto it, Jake leans against the rail and looks back at the two girls. "But don't underestimate them because of what you have heard so far, for as spontaneous as they can be sometimes... they are the best pilots that I have ever worked with."

"And what do you mean by that?" Rin asked as they reach the top of the escalator and start walking again, and Jake just smiles at her.

"There level of skill and talent in an IS is something that even I never thought I would see. All of them have mastered their own strengths and when together... there literally is nothing that can challenge them." He said, and the two girls become ever more curios of this.

"They sound like quite the bunch... Out of curiosity Jake... do you think we'll ever meet them?" Cecelia asked, and this caused Jake to have to pause think for a second, because in honesty... he himself wasn't sure on how to answer that one.

"Well, I'm afraid I'm not sure Cecelia... you see, I was sent to the academy because I was the only one that was needed for the task, and lately things have been busy... so my squadron can't just be called out to meet whenever they want." Jake said, and this seemed to gain a slightly disappointed look from the blonde British girl, and Jake noticed that same look was showing on Rin as well, at first he wasn't too sure why they seemed to be looking at him like that, but then a small smile graces his face when a little idea pops into his head.

"Tell you what though... If I get a chance, I can try and contact them through Skype on my computer back at the academy so you could at least talk to them through there if you want." He suggested, and straight away the two girls moods changed as they look at him with a smile of their own.

"That would be really nice of you Jake, Thank you for suggesting that." Cecelia said gratefully.

"Yeah, I wont lie... I'm really interested to see what type of people your squadron are like in a general conversation." Rin added in, but this only made shake his head a little as he chuckles to himself.

"I just hope you two are aware of what you'll get yourselves into if I expose you to them." He thought to himself as they continue to walk through the mall to pass the time. It wasn't long till the place was going to start shutting down for the end of the day, so they were looking around to see if there was one more place that they would like to look in before heading back to the academy. However as they walked round on the second floor, Jake spots a set of familiar faces and a smile tugs at his lips.

"Hey Ich, Charl..." He calls as he waves out at the them, causing to Both Rin and Cecelia to look over to see that Ichika and Charlotte were sitting near the glass rail of the malls second floor and overlooking the place as they seemed to be waiting for something. After hearing the young American's voice, the two teenagers look back to see Jackson walking towards them and gives him a smile of there own as they get up from their bench to greet him.

"Hello Jake." Charlotte said politely. "How are you doing today."

"I'm good, thanks for asking... I was out shopping with Rin and Cecelia today. Take it you two are doing something similar." Jake said.

"You could say so." Charlotte said through her usual smile. "Me, Ichika and Houki were shopping here as well, but she had to go to the restroom and we are just waiting here for her."

"Ah I see." Said Jake.

"Yeah... but she's been gone for quite a bit just now." Ichika says as he looks over to the clock and sees that it had been about twenty minutes since Houki had left. Jackson on the other hand just smirks as he shook his head a little at him.

"Ichika... you need to learn to be more patient." He chuckles. "Don't you know its rude to rush a lady."

Ichika just sighs a little at Jakes remark, but in the end knew that he was right. The group stayed with each other for a few more minutes, talking about how their days were going and other forms of light conversation. But as takes a step back, he finds himself being pushed back forward as a woman in a black suit shoulder bashed him out of her way as she was walking with two other woman in suits.

"Watch where your standing kid!" The woman grunts as she walks past, but Jackson on the other hand wasn't taking that.

"Hey... You're the idiot that hit me... you go get some glasses instead." Jake calls out, and as soon as he does the woman stops and turns back to face the young man.

"What was that." The woman snapped as she walks right up to Jake and stares him down. Ichika and the other girls watch from a safer distance as this woman stares directly into Jakes eye with what looked like harmful intent, whereas Jake just seemed to look more annoyed than anything else.

"Talon 3, stop messing around with this punk... we have to go now." One of the other woman said as the other two woman turn round to inform the underling that they had places to be as of now, and not trying to pick a fight with some random kid, but as soon as the one that was pushing a wheelchair turned round, Jackson glanced over the shoulder of the one that was in front of him... and spotted the person in the chair.

"What the!?" He snapped as he recognises the face of a familiar friend of his in the chair. "Houki!?"

The second he said that name, the three woman felt a pang of shock shoot through them, they were not expecting this random kid that they had only just ran into to know the name of their target, and look over to his group of friends to see that saying Houki's name had caused all of them to look as well, all of them sharing the same expression of sheer confusion... and anger.

"Hey!?" Rin snaps as she stares down the two woman near her friend. "What the hell do you think you are doing with our friend!"

"That's right... you let her go right this instant." Charlotte said out of anger as well.

"Indeed, or we will take her back by force." Cecelia added in.

By now the three woman knew that the gig was up, Jake had blown their cover wide open and that the only thing to do now get the hell out of there asap... but what happened next, none of the group was prepared for. Without any warning, the left hand of the woman who was standing in front of Jake lights up in sparks as she fires up the incapacitation device that she used to knock out Houki. Jake just spots the device as she lashes out at him, forcing him to lunge back in defence. The woman steps forward and unleashes a barrage of fast and precise strikes, clearly trained in the art of close quarters combat from her style. Jake puts his training to good use as he ducks and weaves to avoid her attacks, but then he noticed out of the corner of his eye that the other two woman were using the distraction of their underling to beat a hasty retreat.

"Guys!" He calls out, ducking under his attackers strike and stung her with strong kidney punch. "I got this one... Don't let those two get away with Houki."

Jake turns back to deal with the underling, and without thinking twice, the rest of the group follow his command and run after the other two woman making off with their friend. However it seemed that the two abductors hand heard Jake as well, as the one that was holding a black suit case turns round and aims it in the groups direction. At first they were confused on what this woman was up to... but then at the last possible second, Charlotte spotted something on the case that causes her to shout out at the top of hr lungs.

"GUN! GET TO COVER!"

The group dive in all directions as the woman pulls the trigger on the handle of the case and fires the SMG that was concealed inside of it. Gunshots echo throughout the entire mall, causing innocent civilians to run and scream in panic. The woman fires at Ichika and the girls, forcing them to duck behind tables and marble plant display cases to avoid the fire as the woman pushing Houki's chair continues to run for the pick up zone she had planned. Bullets rip through the air, and a few of them shoot past Jake and the woman fighting him as they were caught out in the open... and to his misfortune, one bullet strikes Jake flat in his right shoulder.

"Da Shit." He grunts as the bullet digs deep into him, knocking him back and off balance. The woman sees him falter and takes advantage of it, ducking to dodge a sluggish punch from Jake's wounded arm, she brings her fist up and lands a clean uppercut into his jaw and stuns Jake before hitting him again with a fast three punches to his chest and face her stun device shocking him as she strikes. Jake staggers back to try and find his feet... but before he could do that, the woman spins her body and lands a strong round house kick to Jake's wounded side... and sends him flying through a set of tables and chairs.

Ichika hears the sound of the tables smashing behind him and turns back to see his friend in trouble.

"Jake!" He said as he tries to get up and run to help.

"ICHIKA NO!" Charlotte shouts out as she grabs his collar and pulls him back, mere seconds before the woman with the gun fires again and narrowly misses him. "You idiot! You nearly got yourself killed."

"But we gotta help JJ." HE said as he turns back to see the woman that had knocked Jake down was now walking towards Jackson, clearly intending to finish him off.

"Ha... and I thought you might of been tougher than that." The woman chuckles lowly as she kicks a table aside to reveal Jake, still laying on his back after been kicked down... she walks up to him and presses her heel against his neck to choke him as she laughs at him whilst the young man gasps for air.

"But I guess I was disappointingly wrong about you." The woman said as she raised her foot to stomp his lights out, but as she drives her foot down, at the last second... Jake rolls left to avoid her and gets back up, the woman tries another round house kick... but this time Jake was ready, and grabs her foot to stop the kick. Gripping her tightly Jake swings her round and throws the woman across the food court, smashing more tables and chairs as she crashes to the ground.

"Now you've pissed me off, Bitch." Jake growls as he cracks his knuckles while the woman gets back up, clearly angered by his move and turns the voltage on her device all the way up to maximum output.

"Tough talk won't save you boy." She snapped as she runs at Jake, jumping into the air and bringing her fist up to him. "Now stay down this time."

The woman drives her fist down upon him, but Jake kicks up with deadly precision and hit her chest, winding the woman and knocking her back before her fist could even hit him. The woman lands flat on her back after her attack fails but quickly gets back up as Jake brings his fists up in a boxer like manner before quickly stepping forward to close the gap. The woman throw another punch but Jake dodges her and strikes back with a strong left cross followed by a right cross, the woman tries a sluggish jab, but Jake locks arms with her and head butts his attacker... blood spurting form her nose as his strike breaks it, wincing in pain the woman backs off but Jake doesn't give any breathing space and closes in again and knees her in the stomach before elbowing her spine to stun her. Jake spins behind the woman wraps his arms round her body before throwing her over him, slamming her into the ground hard, he was sure he could hear joints popping after that one. Desperate the woman lashes out with her device to electrocute him... but her attack was sluggish and weak, so Jake easily caught her wrist... twisting violently and breaking her hand.

"AHHRRRG!" The woman screams as she grasps her broken hand, only to be kicked by Jake again, forcing her to crash against the glass balcony near the edge of the third floor of the mall. She spits blood and struggles for balance after the savage beating she got from underestimating her rival... but as she looks up, she becomes wide eyed in fear as she spots Jackson run towards her... she knew what was to follow next, but had no time to react. Jake drives his foot into her chest and smashed her body through the balcony, the scream of the woman rings out as she falls all the way to the ground floor, only for her scream to be drowned out by the sound of her body hitting the cold ground, killing her instantly.

"TALON 3!" The other woman that was keeping Ichika and the group pinned had seen the whole thing and points her case at Jake, angered at the lost of her comrade. "Why you little... DIEEEEEEE!"

She unloads her case at Jake, who runs to cover, sliding behind a table to hide, but the woman continues to fire at him hoping a bullet would go through and kill Jake when suddenly.

CLICK!

"Huh, Oh shit." The woman said as she realises what had happened.

"Her guns out of ammo... NOW." Rin shouts and the group converge on the woman the stop her from reloading... but the hit woman was ready for that and reached behind her back to pull out a flash grenade.

"Damnit... everyone cover up." Charlotte calls out as the woman tosses the grenade and sets it off, and despite their efforts Ichika and the girls were not fast enough to avoid the bright flash and loud bang of the grenade. The group stagger and whine as their ears ring and vision goes bright, unable to see anything. Charlotte rubs her eyes and blinks frantically as her vision begins to come back... but as the image clears, she felt her heart stop as the woman who had thrown the grenade had pulled out an M1911 hand gun... and was pointing it straight at her. Charlotte covers her eyes and waits for the inevitable.

BANG!

The sound of a loud gunshot echo's throughout the mall. Charlotte shudders from the sound gunshot... but soon notices that she wasn't feeling the pain of being shot, nor was she dying either, so she opens her eyes... and is stunned at the sight in front of her. The group look around as they regain sight after the effects of the flash grenade wear off and are met by a grim sight... The woman was still standing, but her expression had change to one of shock, as she looks down to see a hole in her chest that was the size of a baseball, blood pouring from her wound as she finally collapses to the floor.

Ichika and the girls are shocked as they look back in the only direction that shot could have come from, and were met by the sight of Jake... standing there with a cold and serious expression on his face, and in his hand... was a .500 Magnum revolver, smoke seeping from the barrel after Jake had just shot the attacker down. Jake returns his gun back to its holster that was hidden inside his jacket and starts to move in the direction that he last saw the woman that was abducting Houki went in.

"Come on, we still have time... they cant have gotten that far." He said, and the rest of the group quickly follow after him as they run after the last of the abductors.

* * *

"Talon 2, 3 come in... what's the sit rep up there?" The last of the woman says through the coms to find out what happens as she exits the lift with Houki and enters the car park to the mall... but there was answer.

"Talon 2, 3 come in." She says again... but the coms were filled with nothing but static.

"Damnit." Said the woman as she runs round the corner to find a convoy of one BMW M5, three Range Rover Revere's and five Yamaha MT10 motorcycles that were waiting for her. Three more of her associates exit one of the Revere's.

"You're a little late Talon 1." One of the woman says with her arms folded.

"Just shut up and help me load the target." The woman snaps as she wheels Houki's chair to the boot of the M5. The other three woman look at each other as to why she was being so snappy... but then they noticed something.

"Where's Talon 2 and 3?" another woman asks, the leader of the group just turns back with the most serious of looks.

"We were compromised... a civi recognised the target and blew our cover... I ordered Talon 2 and 3 to hold them back, but now the coms have gone dead... so we have to move now." She said as she opens the boot. The other woman seemed to snap into action after hearing that the cover of the op they were on was blown and aided the leader in putting Houki into the boot of the car and were preparing to move... When suddenly they saw Jake, swiftly followed by Ichika and the rest of the girls run round the corner and spot them.

"There they are, don't let them get away." Jake calls out.

"Shit they found us." The leader said as she runs for the driver side of the M5. "Don't just stand there you idiots... KILL THEM!"

Just then, the windows of the three Revere's roll down and gunfire rings out as the hit squad opens up on Jake and the others.

"Duck in cover." Ichika cries out as the group splits up and hides behind parked cars to avoid the bullets. Then Jackson hears the engine of the M5 fire up and the sound of tire squealing is heard as the car that was holding Houki captive starts to pull away, followed by one of the Revere's.

"They're getting away." Cecelia said as she spots the cars head for the exit. Jackson spots this as well, but as he was about to chase after them, something caught his eye that instantly pulls him in the other direction.

"RIN, CHARLOTTE MOVE!" He shouts as he runs in the two girls direction, dodging bullets as he enters the crossfire.

"Huh!" Both Rin and Charlotte said in confusion, but when they look through the windows of the car they were hiding behind, they are stunned when they see one of the Revere's charging at them in an attempt to ram the car in front of them and crush them against the wall. Luckily, Jake gets there with a second to spare as he wraps an arm round each of them and dives out of the way right as the SUV hits the car and smashes it against the wall the three of them were moments ago. The rear passenger window of the Revere opens and the three teenagers see that one of the woman inside was attempting to throw a frag grenade out to them, but with fast reaction time, Charlotte picks up a piece of metal from the car that was just rammed and throws it at the woman, stunning her and causing her to drop the grenade... just as she pulls the pin.

"Oh shit... GET OUT!" The driver cries as everyone races to exit the SUV. Jake picks up Rin and Charlotte and ducks behind another car for cover, and within seconds... the grenade explodes and causes the SUV to erupt into flames, shrapnel and flames overcome the woman in the SUV before they could get away, killing all of them instantly. The last Revere drives past to catch up with the convoy, followed by the bikes, but as one of the stragglers passes by Cecelia jumps out of cover and strikes the rider with a crowbar that she got out of one of the parked cars, knocking the rider off the bike and out cold.

"Nice one Cecelia." Jake said as he runs to the bike and picks it up. "Quick, toss his helmet here."

"Jake... You sure you can stop them alone, we can help." Ichika said as he looked like he was about to activate his IS, but Jake stops him by gripping his wrist.

"No Ich... You know using the IS in public is a bad idea." Jake said as he takes the helmet that Rin passes him. "You guys get back to the academy before the cops show up... Leave Houki to me now."

Jake puts on the helmet and fires up the engine of the bike, but just before he takes off Charlotte calls him out.

"Jake... Please don't lose her... please." She said with sincerer eyes and knowing that the rest of the group were now counting on him, he nods at them in understanding and rips the throttle wide open, the bikes tyre screams as he takes off in pursuit of the abductors.

Meanwhile further up... the rest of the hit squad sent to take Houki had just exited the car park and were heading for the drop off point.

"Think we lost them?" one of the underlings asked as she looks back to the car park.

"Relax... those kids shouldn't be following us anymore." The leader said as she continues driving down the street to keep on mission. The underling looks back again at the car park exit... but this time, she sees one of the MT10's come flying out of the exit and gun it after the convoy... a little too quickly towards the convoy to be honest.

"Errrrr you might be wrong there boss."

"Huh." The leader said as she looks in her rear view mirror and spots the familiar black leather jacket of her pursuer as he closes in.

"Fuck... That was the one that blew our cover." She said as she punched the accelerator and begins to speed up to escape.

"This is Talon 1 calling all unit, we have a hostile on one of our bikes... don't let him reach the target... Crush him." She said over the coms to warn the rest of her squad, who all load their rifles and prepare for the fight. Jackson rides hard and fast as he swings left to overtake one of the Revere's, but as he does the windows roll down again and he's met with more gunfire from assault rifles as the passengers of the SUV try to take him out. Jake hits the brakes and sharply drops back to avoid the fire and swings right to go round the side to overtake, racing past the SUV before they could get the guns pointed out the other side... and the other two motorcyclists pass the SUV and give chase on Jake. He looks back to see one rider pull out her SMG and fire at him, causing Jake to lunge the bike in all directions as well avoid the traffic and not just the bullets.

The M5 ahead takes a hard left and the driver of the Revere behind Jake gets a idea as a truck on the other side of the street was spotted.

"Hey... Shoot that things tyres out, force that guy to lose the boss." He said, and complying to the order, one of the gunners leans out the window and fires at the truck. Jackson hears the gunfire and looks back to see the gunner wasn't aiming at him, but then he turns back to see a truck on the other side of the road lose control as its passenger tyre is blown off and forced to veer in front of him.

"Shit!" He said as he hits the brakes and turns right... but like hell was he gonna lose that M5. The truck smashed into the corner of the street that the BMW went down... But Jake was a skilled rider and shifts down, rips his throttle open and throws the bike into a power slide. He drifts left round the back of the truck and stays on the tail of that M5... the two bikes and Revere chase after Jake, still firing their weapons at him on full auto. One bullet manages to graze is helmet, almost causing him to lose focus.

"That's enough of you guys." He said in frustration as he draws his .500 again, and aims for the Revere. Jackson pulls the trigger and fires... the fifty calibre round from his revolver hits the drivers tyre and he loses control of the SUV. The Revere jerks right and rolls... even throwing some of the gunners out as it spirals out of control. The two remaining riders veer in different directions the avoid the wreak... but for one of them, they took the wrong path and as soon as he passed the wreak of the SUV, he was met by the sight of an oncoming car head straight for him.

"Oh FUCK!" He shouts as he hits the brake... but it was far too late as his bike smashed into the car and throws him into the air and over the car, straight threw the windscreen of the truck behind it and breaking his next... dying instantly.

"He just took out Spear 3 and Dagger 2... with one bullet." The underling said in shock as she watched the ordeal from the rear window of the M5.

"What!?" Snapped the leader, unable to believe that, but soon swallows her words when she checks the mirror and sees one of her SUV's and a bike being left in a twisted wreak behind them. "That's it... I've had enough of this kid... Call in the reaper."

The underling reached for her coms and calls out to the remaining Revere.

"Spear 1 this is Talon... Use the 40... Rip that kid a new one."

Jackson closes in on the lead car... but then he spots the roof of the last Revere open up.

"huh?" He mutters as he wondered what was coming next... when suddenly the SUV pulls a violent handbrake turn, and Jake turns wide eyed when a 40mm Vulcan auto-cannon emerges from within the Revere.

"Oh you gotta be kidding me?" Jake said before the cannon opens up, 40mm shells rip up the road around him as he tried to dodge the fire, Jackson brakes and is forced to break pursuit and retreat down a narrow ally, followed by the SUV and last rider as they chased him down. The Revere's cannon fires again, round narrowly missing Jake as he reached the mouth of the ally and power slides right. Looking back he sees that his pursuers were still hot on his tail.

"Tohka, you there." Said Jake.

"I'm here JJ." He hears her voice in his ear from the coms system built in his eyepatch.

"I can't get Houki till I deal with that damn cannon." Jake said as still twists and weaves to avoid the shells whizzing past him. "I know you saw that M5's reg plate... track them down and keep me posted while I deal with these guys."

"Already on it JJ."

Leaving Tohka to track the M5, Jake focused on the guys behind him... and that was when he spots another truck loaded with propane tanks parked next the road, and has an idea.

"Five rounds, two fired... three left." He said as he draws his Magnum. Jake pulls left and mounts the curb to pass the truck on the right, the SUV stays left but the rider follows him... As soon as Jake was seen again on the road the cannon fires... but then the driver of the Revere saw him aim his gun behind him... and sees the tanks.

"SHIT!" He said as he tried to veer out the way, but it was too late as Jake fires two shots... both the two tanks and cause a massive eruption, the force of the blast flips the Revere and kills the rider before blasting the bike through a shop window. And now with his pursuers taken out, Jake could focus on what he was meant to be doing.

"Alright Tohka... Where is she."

"Take the next left and head that way JJ." Tohka said as she directed him in the direction he needed to go.

* * *

"Think we lost him this time" The underling said to her boss... wondering if they had shaken Jake off. The leader of the squad just chuckles.

"Of course... unless that kid can outmatch a 40mm cannon with nothing but a revolver... he hasn't got a chance." Said the leader as she drives round a corner to merge with the main road... but then she saw something, something that made her stop the car dead in the road.

"What is it boss?" The underling asked as she turned to look out the front of the car, and as soon as she did... she quickly gained the same wide eyed look of shock that her boss had. three quarters of a mile down road at a stand still... was Jackson, revving his bikes engine as he stares down the road at the car.

"No way..." The leader said in disbelief, unable to process how so much of her group had failed to stop this one kid.

"Only way to the drop off is past him boss." Said the underling. "What now."

The leader looked at her for a second, then back at Jake... and revs the engine, before saying. "Now... We run him down."

Without warning the leader hits the gas and charges for Jake, who pins his throttle as well and the vehicles close in at blind speed.

"Shoot him." The leader said to the underling, ordering her to take her rifle and try to kill Jake. Complying, she rolls the window and draws her weapon, firing down range at Jake. But Jackson starts to turn and burn, using oncoming cars and trucks as cover as he closes in.

"One Shot left." He said as he draws his gun again. "Better make it count."

Jake keeps speeding up as he closes in on the M5... evading bullets as well as oncoming traffic.

"Come on... Kill him." The leader said.

"I'm trying... he's too fast." Replied the underling as she continues firing.

Then her rifle runs out of ammo just as Jake disappears behind another truck. She reached for a fresh mag... but just as she looks up, Jake flies out from the driver side of the car... and in that brief fraction of a second, her life flashed before her eyes as she sees the Barrel of Jakes Revolver pointing at them. Jackson pulls the trigger as he passes the driver window and fires his last shot. The underling watched in fear as her leaders head bursts into a red mist that splattered across her body, and with no one at control of the car, it veers right and hits the safety rail, flipping into the air and spiralling out of control as it hits ground and roll across an empty park before coming to a complete stop in a twisted, mangled wreak.

Jackson rolls up behind the wreak and dismounts the bike, walking up to the boot of the car he opens it and finds Houki... a little bruised and cut up from the crash and still unconscious, but it looked like she was okay.

"Its okay." Jake said as he picks her up in his arms, looking down at her. "You're safe now."

Just then, Jake heard the sound of sirens ring out and decided that now was a good time to get Houki out of here before the police arrive... and with that thought in mind, he beats a hasty retreat.

A few seconds later, the passenger door of the M5 opens and the underling crawls out of the wreak after barley surviving that crash, whining in pain from her injuries. She sits herself against the side of the car and lights a cigarette to numb the pain a little... That's when she spotted the bike parked behind the wreak, and the boot wide open... knowing that the target was gone, she could only sigh after surviving this mad chase.

"Whoever that kid is... He's no ordinary human." She mutters in discomfort... listening as the sirens close in on her location.


	16. Chapter 16: Black Blooded

Black Blooded

* * *

Ichika paces outside the door to the Academy infirmary, growing more anxious with every passing second. It had been a good few hours since Houki was safely brought back by Jackson after the gruesome ordeal that had unfolded earlier that day at the mall... and ever since then, no one was permitted to enter her room until the nurses had confirmed that she was fit enough for visitors to enter.

"Please could you try and relax a little Ichika." Charlotte asked, sitting on the bench outside Houki's room as well as the rest of the group. All of them had stayed to hear of how their friend was doing, even Laura had joined after hearing of what had happened... but Ichika's current state of worry wasn't helping that much.

"I'm sorry Charl." Ichika said as he takes a breath to try and calm down. "I'm just worried about her."

"We all are." Cecelia said. "But pacing back and forth and getting all worked up isn't going to help."

"She's Right, Ichika." Rin added. "So just sit down and try cooling off a bit."

Ichika still felt tense about everything, but knew his friends were only trying to help him relax... understanding that it wasn't easy to wait to hear how one of their closest friends were doing after nearly being abducted out of thin air. He finally manages to stop pacing and sits down next to his friends as they continued to wait. Ichika then looks up at Jackson, who had been sitting at the other side of the hall, his head tipped so that only his mouth was seen below his hat... his chin resting on his knuckles, appearing to be deep in thought about something.

"JJ..." Ichika asked.

"Yeah, Ich?" Jake said as he looks up to his friend.

"You okay... you haven't said a word since you brought Houki back." Ichika said, and this caused the rest of the girls to look at Jackson as well, admittedly... Ichika was right, ever since Jake got back he had been totally silent and had looked like something was on his mind. Jackson glances at all the eyes that were gazing upon him, then tips his head back down as he speaks.

"I'm fine Ich... I'm just trying to figure out why everything that happened today, happened in the first place."

Jake went back to thinking again... but that was when he hears Charlotte call him out again.

"Jackson..."

"Yeah Charl?" Jake said as he looks up to see the blonde French girl looking at him with soft eyes.

"Thank you... for saving Houki for us." She said meaningfully to Jake, earing a light smile from the young Texan.

"Don't worry about it... I promised I'd get her back... and I never break my promises." Jake said as he leans back in his seat.

"No Jake... We really mean it." Cecelia said, gaining his attention again.

"Yeah, if it wasn't for you... we might have lost her today." Charlotte said to him. "We really owe you."

"You don't own me anything." Jake said to stop her. "Houki is a friend to me as well... and for that, I don't see it as just your responsibility to keep each other safe."

A small smile tugs at the girls lips in gratefulness towards Jake, and then the door to Houki's room was heard as it opens and the head nurse exits the room, instantly gaining the attention of everyone in the hall.

"How is she?" Ichika asks as he gets up, eager to hear what the woman had to say.

"She is going to be fine... Miss, Shinonono has sustained some minor injuries, but she is stable and should make a full recovery quite soon." Said the nurse, and a breath of relief sweeps over the group after hearing this... glad to hear their friend was okay.

"Is it okay if we can see her now?" Charlotte asks.

"Of course... but just try not to rush her... although she's stable we recommend that she takes it easy for a little while." The nurse said, and the group agreed with her and were thankful that she allowed them to see Houki so soon.

"Thank you Miss. And I can assure you that we will take care of her as well you did." Cecelia said politely, gaining a smile from the nurse as she left them to see their friend... However just as they got up to enter her room, they heard the familiar voice of Miss. Yamada behind them.

"Excuse me, Mr. Jackson." She said, causing the group to turn and face her as she walks up to them.

"I'm sorry to bring you away from your friends just now... But Miss. Orimura would like to speak to you right now." Miss. Yamada said to him, gesturing him to follow her in the other direction. Jake looked at her for a second, then at the rest of his friends... and could only give them a light smile.

"Looks like I'll have to catch up with you guys." He chuckles.

"We promise we'll let her know that you brought her back safely JJ." Ichika said as he holds out a hand to his friend.

"I trust you will." Jake said as he grips Ichika's hand firmly in mutual respect for all he'd done for today, and with that done... Jake finally follows Yamada down the hall to Chifuyu's office.

Laura watched him as he walks off... and that was when her sharp eye spots a drop of blood fall from Jake's hand and hit the floor.

"He's hurt..." She mummers to herself. "And yet he kept quiet so the nurses focused on Houki..."

In a way, Laura found a secret sense of respect for the young Texan for that... Dealing with the pain of his injuries so that others could be rid of theirs quicker. It seemed that Jake was more thoughtful than he was making out to be.

Meanwhile, Jake quietly follows Miss. Yamada as they head for the head office where he assumed Chifuyu was waiting for him... and when they reach their destination, Miss. Yamada stops at the side of the door.

"I'm afraid this is where I stop for now Jake... Miss. Orimura is in there waiting to speak to you." She said kindly to Jake, who tips his hat to her as a thanks for bringing him to her. Jake opens the door to find Chifuyu sitting in her chair at her desk, she was looking down at a tablet that was placed on the desk, watching something... then looks up to see Jake standing at the door.

"Please take as seat Jake." She said, her tone carrying a firm ordering manner to it, and Jake complies to her, walking forward and sitting in the chair that was placed in front of her desk.

"Do you know why I asked for you." Chifuyu said as she brings her eyes onto him... folding her arms at the young man. Jake sighs a little in his head... as he had a pretty good feeling that he knew why, but in honesty... he just didn't need the headache right now, but he should've guested that the sharp mind of Miss. Orimura would catch onto his actions sooner than later.

"I have feeling I do to be honest Ma'am." Jake sighs in frustration, which doesn't seem to shift that disgruntled look on Chifuyu's face, and then she picks up the tablet on her desk and shows Jake what was on the screen.

"This happen to be that (feeling)of yours Jackson." She said sternly.

Jake looks down at the screen and sees that it was video footage that must have been caught by a civilian during his chase earlier. The footage shows a black motorcycle racing down the street whilst being chased by a large SUV and another motorcycle... the lead rider mounts the curb and shoots past a parked truck that was loaded with highly explosive containers of propane gas, followed but the tailing bike and SUV. Jake watches as the camera shows that as soon as the lead rider was clear, they pulled out a large revolver and fires behind them, seconds later the containers on the truck erupt in a violent chain reaction, taking out the pursuing rider and SUV... the streets lit up with fleeing civilians, shouting in panic from the sudden chaotic explosion that just occurred.

The video cuts off after that and Jake looks up at Chifuyu... who was staring directly into his eye with her usual stern expression.

"Something like that." Jake chuckles a little to try and lighten the mood, but is knocked back in his chair by the force of Chifuyu's fist connecting with the side of his face.

"Don't try and be smart with me Jake." Chifuyu snapped, deeply angered by the fact that she now knew that Jake was responsible for some of the chaos that tore up part of downtown earlier today. "Do you have any idea what kind of trouble you could bring if anyone knows that was you out there."

Jake clutched the side of his face, grunting from the pain of being hit, and after removing his hand he felt that his lip had burst and was now dripping blood on the floor. In that moment, Jake's attitude shifted there and then as he stares back at Chifuyu with a disgruntled glint in his eye.

"So... that's the thanks I get for saving one of your students, huh." He said in a low tone. And this only seems to annoy Chifuyu ever more.

"You watch your tongue Jake... You may be an Elite Pilot of FEISAR Inc... but here, You are just a student, and I'm you're superior... Understand."

Jake grits his teeth and bites his tongue, knowing that it was better he didn't provoke Chifuyu again... but even so he felt a spark of anger flare in him over the fact that she was ignoring the fact that he had stopped a large group of heavily armed hitmen/women from taking one of her students away... how the hell was he supposed to have done that without it turning chaotic in some way?

"Putting that aside Ma'am... do you realise what could have happened if those thugs got away?" Jake asked. Chifuyu seemed to stop being as angry when she spots a tell tale hint in Jakes tone... She was aware of that hint in his voice... as it was the tone he used when he had something on his mind that he'd put a lot of thought into, and as little as it looked on the outside... When Jake thinks long enough on a certain subject, he comes up with something that no one usually picks up on... and realises that it could have happened if left.

"Jake..." Chifuyu said a little less sternly as she leans forward in her chair. "What are you talking about."

"Those people weren't your average Joe kidnappers." Jake says as he leans back. "They were well trained, well coordinated... and armed to the teeth with high end weaponry... You don't send a group like that to secure a target... unless the target is of high value."

"I'm listening Jake... you better be going somewhere with this." Chifuyu said, her attention now gain from Jakes assumption.

"The world is changing Chifuyu... IS Technology is growing more available and National PMC's are starting to try and find loop holes in the Alaska Treaty in order to use the IS as an asset in profiteering from the war economy... and things are starting to get personal between these PMC's. Jake explains, but Chifuyu didn't seem to be picking up on his theory as well as he was.

"What does that have to do with ripping up part of Downtown and getting Miss. Shinonono back?" She asked.

"Lets talk hypothetically for now." Jake said as he leans forward to lean on the edge of Chifuyu's desk. "Lets say a certain PMC wants to destabilise a nation, and illegally uses IS Tech to cause this nation to spiral into a civil war... and use that as a nice chance to gain some extra cash by providing their services to the Nation they messed up in the first place... But they have one problem they cant deal with."

"And What would that one problem happen to be?" Chifuyu asked out of curiosity.

"Lets say there's another PMC that has legal rights to use the IS out in the field, using their Units to fight back and prevent civil wars and other incidents that may destabilise a Nation... and these IS's they possess are the top of the line, unchallenged by the one being used illegally by the other PMC's... And a Certain IS is being a bit more of a pain for the illegal PMC than the rest of them." Jake stops for a second, giving Chifuyu a second to take in the information that he was sharing... and sure enough, Chifuyu was starting to pick up on what Jake was starting to say, but stays quiet and gives him the time to speak a little more.

"Now the PMC wants to take out the IS that's been causing them so many problems... but they just don't have an IS with the strength or firepower... nor do they have a pilot that matches up against the one that they're facing... they need outside help... they need a mind that possess the power to create an IS for them that will eliminate their target... They need the mind of the great Tabane Shinonono."

The second Chifuyu heard that name she finds herself sitting back in her seat, contemplating on the thoughts that she was getting from hearing what Jake was saying... She realises what Jake was talking about now... and the more it swirled in her head, the more she seemed to consider the chances that such a thing could happen... but there was one question that she had to test Jakes theory with.

"Do you think she would do that Jackson." She asked... and to her surprise, Jake shook his head... but then he said something she hadn't thought about yet.

"Not under her own will... and we both know that damn rabbit hand is almost impossible to force." Jake then gets up from his chair and leans closer to Chifuyu, the serious glare in his eye becoming more intense as he said. "Unless someone was to get a hold of her little sister."

Chifuyu's eyes widened after hearing Jake say that... and in a few seconds, it all made sense... she finally fully understood what Jake was getting at with his theory.

"Are saying that those people tried to take Houki so they could use her as leverage to force Tabane to build an IS that could take on (Storm Ghost)."

Jake just sits back in his chair and lets off a light sigh as he thinks about that theory himself.

"It may sound like a long short theory ma'am... but those thugs were armed to handle more than a few cops... and they were ready to kill in order to keep Houki, and for that... I'm believing that was what they were there to do." Jake said, drumming his fingers on the side of his chair as he tries not to think about what might have happened to Houki if she had have been lost today... then he turns his attention back to Chifuyu.

"That's why things got as chaotic as it did today Ma'am." He says through a calm, yet firm tone. "Because I realised that it wasn't just Ichika and his friends that would be effected if Houki was lost... and there's one thing about me that you know... the one thing that drives me to make sure that when I set out to do something... I get it done no matter the cost."

There was a brief moment of silence between the two of them after Jake had finished speaking. Chifuyu was looking down at her desk for a moment, when she meets eyes with Jakes as she quietly said.

"Your Instinct."

Jake nods his head slightly at her. "It's kept me alive since the day I started to trust it... and out there today, they told me that if I lost Houki... then we would be met by more than we would have ever expected."

Jake gets up from his chair and straightens his jacket, believing that he had said what he needed to say to get his point through and was about ready to leave.

"I do what I do with the best of intentions for the people around me Chifuyu... but for what its worth... I'm sorry that I seem to bring destruction along my actions, but its something that I have been stuck with for a very long time... all I can hope is that you understand." Jake said calmly, and as he turns to walk out of the room, he felt Chifuyu place her and on her shoulder to stop him. Jackson looks back to see that she had gotten up from her chair as well... but he noticed that her usual firm toned expression wasn't seen on her face... in fact... she seemed to be smiling at him.

"I know Jake... I know." She said, and even to Jakes surprise... She wrapped an arm round his shoulder to hold him near her, letting his tired body lean against hers. At first Jake was a little shocked by the fact that he was being hugged by his superior... but he soon found himself smiling a little as he reached round and hugs her back... remembering that this wasn't the first time this has happened.

"Do you know how long its the last time you hugged me." Jake chuckles, gaining another smile back from Chifuyu.

"Three years." She said. "And it feels almost exactly like last time as well."

"Yeah... Last time." Jake said quietly, causing Chifuyu's grip on him to tighten ever so slightly.

"I'm sorry Jake... I didn't mean to bring up the things that happened back then." She apologies... remembering herself that the last time that Jake and her had come this close was after he had to go through something that he wasn't that comfortable with remembering.

"Don't worry about it... Its in the past." Jake said as he rested his head against her side. "And I'm always gonna be thankful for the help you gave me that day."

Chifuyu smiled a little as she looks down at the young man... however her train of thought was disrupted when she spotted something.

"Jake... you're bleeding." She said as she looks at the patch of blood on the floor that had been dripping from Jakes right hand. Jackson breaks from their hug and looked down at his hand that was now almost completely red, sighing a little as he remembers how that happened.

"Ah... yeah, I never told anyone this... but I was clipped as well today." He said, and this causes Chifuyu to fold her arms at him.

"Why didn't you mention anything to the nurses."

"Because Houki's health and safety was more important in my mind... so I stayed quiet so I wouldn't distract any of the nurses." Said Jackson... And all Chifuyu could do after hearing that was pinch the bridge of her nose and sigh, and although she could understand why Jake did that... it never comforted her that he seemed to always put others medical emergences before his... no matter how bad they seemed to be.

"Jake, you know it doesn't help you when you do that." Chifuyu sighs in frustration.

"I'm fine... its a minor wound." Jake replies.

"Let me at least take a look at it then." Asked Chifuyu. Jake looks at her for a second, but felt that he should do as told... and with that said, he unzips his jacket to show that his blue shirt was stained with a large patch of blood on his right shoulder and ran down his arm. Chifuyu saw that there was a hole in Jake's shirt, and as soon as he removes it she finds that not only Jake was covered in bruises, but on his right shoulder was a bullet hole that had been bleeding quite heavily and stains his skin in blood.

"You call this minor?" Chifuyu said to Jake, who just nods at her... making her sigh at the young man.

"Jake... one day you are gonna bring more harm than you want to yourself by being this stubborn." She said in frustration.

"I can't help being who I am Ma'am." Jake said as he puts his clothing back on to hide his wound again.

"Well that wont stop me from keeping on at you." Chifuyu huffs... looking down at the blood on the floor that had come from Jake's injury. Then back up at him.

"Go get yourself cleaned up for now Jake... I'm sending someone to patch up this wound of yours before anyone else sees it... And I'm not taking no as an answer." She orders, and all Jake could do was chuckle as he looks up at his superior.

"You sure you won't." He asked, and all Chifuyu did was raise a brow to him at this.

"Okay, okay... because you asked nicely." He said with a small smile as he turns to leave the office.

"Jake." He heard Chifuyu say before he was about to open the door, and turns back to face her.

"Thank you... For bringing Houki back safely, looks like I owe you again." She said, and Jake just laughs a little at this.

"You don't owe me Chifuyu... you know I don't roll like that." He chuckled, and after those words... Jackson walks out the office and makes his way back to his room to get cleaned up. Chifuyu was left smiling from the modesty of her student, and with the ordeal resolved... she turns her attention to the blood Jake had left on the floor.

"Sigh... That boy always has to leave a mess wherever he goes." She said as she thinks about calling one of the cleaners to take care of this.

* * *

Jake makes his way to his room, making sure to avoid any large crowds of students in order to draw as little attention to his wound, that was still bleeding out a little. As he finally reaches his dorm he walks in to find that Ichika hadn't come back yet, and he assumed that he was probably still with Houki back at the infirmary. Jake shed himself of his heavy jacket and hangs it up next to his bed and looked at the whole in his shirt as well as all the blood that stained it.

"Geez... and this was one of my best shirts." He sighs as he removes the shirt and tosses it in the laundry basket... hoping that he wouldn't give the matrons a heart attack with the state his clothes were in. Jackson stretched out his arms and grunts a little from the slight pain of all his bruises and could feel from his bullet wound that the round still seemed to be lodged in him. He walks into the bathroom and turns on the hot water of the sink, rinsing a flannel in the water, Jake carefully washes the blood that had stained him, working from his wound, down his arm and finishes off the little bit that covered his chest before discarding of the flannel.

Jackson walks out of the bathroom and covers the wound with some medical bindings for now and puts on a fresh black tank top before sitting on his bed... finally being able to relax after the events that had occurred today... but despite his efforts to chill out... he was finding it a struggle. Ever since that theory of why he thought those thugs had tried to abduct Houki had popped into his head he couldn't seem to shake it... and that was when he looks over to his computer system... and decided that he was going to find out once and for all whether he was right.

"Looks like I'm gonna need her help again." Jake said as he sits down in front of the screens and logs into his system, and scrolls down to his Skype app. He opens his contacts and clicks on the one that had the profile picture of a young, smiling purple haired girl and the screen opens up as he makes a call to a close friend of his.

 _His squadron medic and hacker... I-S-X-C-S: 003_

The call answers and he was met by the familiar face of a purple haired girl, who right now was wearing a cute white pyjama top dotted with pink kittens.

"Who is this?" The young girl yawns, rubbing her eyes as it seems that she had been woken up by the call. "Its like three in the morning... this better be important."

Jake chuckles a little, seeing that it was clearly obvious that his friend was not aware that it was him that had called her, so he just casually says.

"Is that the way you always greet people Mimi?" He said... and the second the girl seemed to hear his voice, she freezes and looks at the screen again as her vision becomes less of a blur to see the face of her squad leader.

"Jay Jay!" she beams in happiness, almost jumping up and down in her seat, her little purple kitten ears perking up and tail waving in excitement. "Oh my god, I haven't seen you for some time."

"Its only been a week and a half Mimi." Jake chuckles.

"Still..." Mimi pouts. "I miss you... all of us do."

Jake smiles at Mimi, and then her eyes shift to notice the bindings round his shoulder.

"Oh my Jake... you're hurt." She said out of surprise, but Jake just shrugs at her.

"It's nothing Mimi... just a minor wound, I'm sure I'll live." He chuckles, however Mimi just gives him a rather sad look.

"Minor or not it's still a wound... and I'm just sad that you're so far away." She said... and her sad gaze seemed to shift into a rather suggestive one as she rests her head in her hands. "Cuz you know I'd Goooood care of you if I was there."

Jakes smile suddenly dropped as he heard that and just points at his screen.

"Oh no you don't... don't play that game again Mimi, I haven't forgotten what happened last time I let you help me." He said sternly, felling a light chill run down his back as he recalls what happened when she was asked to tend to him after he had returned from a mission a few months ago. Mimi giggles at Jake, twiddling her hair in her fingers as she recalls that incident as well.

"Oh come on Jake... you have to admit I make a good nurse... how many do you know that cares as well as I do." She said softly through a warm smile... however that doesn't seem to shift the rather unimpressed look on Jake's face.

"If by caring... you mean fuzzy handcuffs, a blindfold and that lewd nurses outfit of yours... then mercifully I don't know any others." Jake said as he leans back in his chair and folds his arms at Mimi, who just giggles at him again.

"And I know deep down you wouldn't change that part of me hehehe." She coos, causing Jake to just face palm himself in frustration. Mimi smiles at her superior, clearly enjoying her trolling... but decided that it was enough for now, knowing that there was probably another reason that Jake had called her.

"So... I'm guessing you have another thing to tell me Jay Bay... what's on your mind." She asks.

"I got a job for you." Said Jake as he leans forward again.

"I'm listening." Mimi said, her attention now caught by Jake.

"Earlier today... a rather well trained and well equipped hit squad tried to abduct one of the student of the IS academy today... The younger sister of Tabane Shinonono to be exact." Jake said, and Mimi's eye's seemed to widen a little at this.

"What!... Really." She asked, and Jake nods at her.

"Luckily I was able to stop the attempt... but that wasn't your average abduction attempt... it was planned out too well for that, so whoever hired those guys... really wanted to get there hands on Houki... and that alone is a bad enough thought."

"You're telling me." Mimi agrees. "If she's the little sister of the original creator of the IS... who knows what they could force her to build if they had her."

"Exactly... that's why I called you Mimi, I need you to work a little of that magic of yours for me." Jake said as he takes off his eyepatch and placed it on the data transfer next to his computer. typing in something on the other screen Jake sends a file to Mimi's desktop.

"What's this you're sending me JJ?" She asked.

"I'm sending video footage caught by Tohka during a chase I was in today... I got a clean shot at the license plate of the lead car that was carrying Houki... I think you know what I'm about to ask you to do for me Mimi." Jake said, and he sees Mimi look over to another screen that the file was sent to, then the purple haired girl looks back at him with a little smile of her own.

"You want me to find out who was using that car." She asks, and Jake nods at her.

"And if you can... hack the CCTV cameras within the area that chase happened and see if you can find where that car was going... it couldn't have been that far from the mall and maybe I can find out where they were planning to take Houki." He said.

"And what will you do if I find that place?" Mimi asked, and that's when she noticed Jake's eye glint as he cracks his knuckles.

"Then I'm gonna pay them a little visit... and make sure they don't try something like that again... ever." He said, and This made Mimi raise a brow to him.

"Jaaaaaaaaake... is this something Maverick about." She asked, but Jake just looks at her and shook his head.

"This is off the books Mimi." He said.

"I see... I'll see what I can find and get back to you." She said, gaining a light smile from Jake.

"Thanks Mimi, I know I can rely on you." Jake says to her, causing her to grin as she leans forward and gets closer to her screen, giggling as she whispers into her mic.

"Anything you for JJ."

As no stranger to Mimi's suggestive ways of talking, Jake just smirks at her a little.

"Anyway, that's all I got for you for now Mimi... you go get your beauty sleep for now, and I hope to hear from you again soon." He said to finish his business with her. Mimi smiles and says her goodbyes to Jake, blowing him a kiss as she ends the Skype call. Jake leans back in his chair as he picks his eyepatch back up and returns it to his head, feeling a little more reassured that something was now being done about finding out what he reason for todays recent events were. Just then there was a knock on the door.

"Hold on, I got it." Jake said as he gets up from his chair to go open the door, but as was about to reach the door, it suddenly barged open as someone pushes it.

"What the?!" Jake said out of surprise, and in a slight case shock as he sees who it was that went through his door.

"Hey JJ... how are you feeling." Said the familiar voice of a certain blue hired girl, smiling as she walks into the room. Jake was still trying to process why Tatenashi was here... and just as he manages to find his mind... he almost loses it again when he takes a second look at the attire she was wearing.

"Wait, hold on... What are you-." Jake was finding it hard to find his words as his eye glances other Tatenashi. She was dressed in a bright white nurses outfit with a light blue cross on it, and the outfit barely was able to reach her thighs to reveal the white stockings that she was wearing, coupled with her blue cat ears that bobbed up and down in a cute manner as well as her tail waving behind her. Jake was sure he was seeing things... right after he had just gone over with Mimi about what happened when she played nurse on him... he is met by a similar looking girl now looking like she is wanting to do the same thing... leaving one thought in his mind.

"Why... just, why!"

Tatenashi giggles at the slightly confused boy and walks up to him with a smile on her face.

"I'm the one that's hear to tend to that nasty mark on you." She said with a smile, and almost instantly... Jake plants his palm on his forehead as he realises straight away who was probably behind this, silently cursing a certain head teacher for sending the last person he really needed to see after the stress he'd gone through today.

"So." Said Tatenashi as she reveals a small green medical case that she was hiding behind her back. "Lets gets started shall we JJ."

Jake looks at the case and folds his arms at the blue haired kitten. "I'm warning you Tatenashi... no funny business. I've been somewhere similar to how this looks, so there better not be handcuffs and blindfolds in there."

"Oh my Jake." Tatenashi giggles, giving him quite the suggestive look. "I never knew you had a bit of a kinky side to you... you may be more fun than I thought."

Jake just sighs in frustration at her, gaining another smile from the young girl as she goes to sit down on his bed and opens the case.

"Don't worry JJ... I promise I'll be more gentle than usual." Tatenashi said as she preps a few cotton buds with an alcoholic steriliser as well as a pair of medical tweezers and bindings. She then looks up at him.

"Come sit down Jake." She said, waving a finger at him in a come hither motion. Jake was still a little edgy about this whole thing... unsure whether or not this crafty kitten was planning something, but he just decides to chance it and sits on the bed in front of her. Tatenashi leans forward and hooks her fingers under the waist line of his tank top and slowly pulls it over him and tosses it to one side to expose Jake's old bindings, that were starting to show the tell tale sings that he was still bleeding underneath them. The blue haired girl takes a pair of surgical scissors and carefully cuts the bindings away to reveal the wound under them.

"Turn round please Jake." She asked, which sort of confused Jake seeing that doing that would turn his wound away from her, but just did it anyway... and as he does, he shuddered ever so slightly as he feels her arms wrap round his waist and pull him back.

"Just lay back and relax Jake." Tatenashi said softly as she leans against the headboard of the bed, resting Jacksons body against hers. Jake stays quiet as he finds himself lying against her, his head cushioned by her chest as she picks up one of the cotton buds.

"This may sting a little.. but its to help clean it." She said as she rests her head on his shoulder to look over him. Tatenashi dabs the wound carefully, taking care and watching Jake's reactions as she wipes the opening of the wound clean. Jake twitched a little from the sting of the alcohol, but it wasn't anything that bad, he had sustained much worse injuries over the years and came out fine... so he just shut his eyes and tries to find some time to relax as Tatenashi works over his wound... Then he feels her free hand drift over his abs which wakes him back up and see her smiling at him.

"Comfy Jake." She asked softly, trailing her fingertips across the firm muscles of Jake's torso.

"You could say that." He said, gaining a light giggle from the blue haired nurse as she continues to clean his wound with fresh cotton bud.

"Good." She said as she discards the bud and picks up the tweezers. "I'm nearly done just now, anyway."

Tatenashi shifts so she could get a better reach round Jake and carefully sticks the end of the tweezers into his wound to find the bullet lodged in him.

"I met up with Ichika and his friends Jake... and heard about what happened today." She said as she digs deeper into the wound, causing Jake to look at her.

"You did huh." Jake said, ignoring the minor pain coming from his shoulder.

"Yes... and the reason I came was to do more than heal this wound of yours." Tatenashi said, and immediately Jake tenses up a little... which she felt through the tweezers in his wound.

"What's wrong Jake?" She asks out of curiosity, meeting Jake's uncovered eye with hers.

"Forgive me if I'm rude Tatenashi... but after that stunt you pulled on me a week ago, I'm a little edgy about things you plan without knowing what they are." Jake said. However he was a little surprised to see Tatenashi just smile at him kindly.

"Don't worry JJ." She said, then her tail sweeps round and under Jake's chin, bringing his face to hers as she leans closer to him... her breath ghosts over his skin as she softly whispered. "I just want to give you a proper thank you for saving my friend."

And without any warning and while she was still tending to the wound on his shoulder... Tatenashi leaned in and pressed her lips against Jackson's. The sudden move caught Jake off guard and finds himself wide eyed and stunned as Tatenashi's tongue slips past the seam of his lips and push deeper into him... and sure enough, Jake finds himself shutting his eyes and giving into the intoxication of her kiss as she sinks into him. He felt her tail still brushing his cheek and reached over to cup hers in his hand as they stayed like this for a the moment. Tatenashi smiles a little against his lips, her tongue swirling against his as she thanks him for doing what he did today to insure her friend was safely returned... and then in her hand that was holding the tweezers, she finally felt the end of the bullet that was in Jakes shoulder. Jake was still too distracted by the kiss to notice, so she didn't break as she grips the round and with a small spurt of blood from Jake, she carefully pulls bullet out of him.

Tatenashi and Jake finally break from the kiss for air and gaze at each other for a second, and the blue haired kitten smiles at the now even more stunned Texan.

"So Jake... How did you like my thank you to you?" She said through a smile... and Jake could only answer with.

"More than I was expecting to." He said, gaining a giggle from her as she turns her attention to the bullet she was holding in her tweezers.

"Well... I know you liked it enough to not notice me pull this out of you." She said as the two of them look at the bullet, both seeing that it was a little bigger that they were expecting, but now that it was out... Tatenashi decided that now was a good time to clean up Jake's wound and patch him up. She lets Jake get up so she could go to the bathroom and fetch a flannel for her to rinse him off, but as she comes back out of the bathroom and see Jake again... Tatenashi suddenly stopped as she spots something... something that she was never expecting.

"Tatenashi?" Jake asked as he sees the shift in her expression... then he saw that she was looking at his shoulder wound, and when he looks as well, Jake is met by the last thing he was wanting to see. After removing the bullet from his wound, both of them saw that a strange viscous black liquid was seeping from Jake's wound, it bubbles as it runs down his arm and Jake looks back at Tatenashi to see her looking at him with a surprised, yet shocked expression on her face.

"Jake." She asks timidly. "What is that stuff?"

Jake didn't say anything to her, he just stood there and looks back at his wound... So in a brave move, Tatenashi steps forward and tries cleaning the substance of him... but soon as the flannel touched the black oil like liquid... something that struck a faint sense of fear in her happened. The flannel hissed and fizzles as the substance burns and melts its way through the fabric. Tatenashi instantly drops the flannel to avoid touching the acidic liquid and watches as it burns through the flannel, then with a shocked look on her face she turns back to Jake.

"What's going on Ja-" Tatenashi is cut off when out of nowhere, Jake pounced on her and pushed her against the wall and placed a hand over the mouth to stop anyone outside the room from hearing them. Tatenashi looks into his emerald green eye, unable to fight his grip and overcome with the confusion that swept over her after the tables of this whole ordeal had violently shifted... Then, to her surprise, Jake placed a finger over his lips to her.

"Shhhh... Please Tatenashi... stay calm." Jake said in a reassuring voice to try and calm her down, and only releases his grip from Tatenashi after she silently nodded to promise she would relax. Jake backs off from her and looked at the wound again to see the black liquid has slowed its bleed down... but a little was still seeping out.

"What is that stuff Jake?" Tatenashi asked, desperately wanting an answer, but Jake just sighs at the blue haired girl.

"Tatenashi." He said with his hands in his pockets. "You know as well as I know that Rank:S Pilots aren't born..."

Tatenashi takes a second to process what Jake just said, and it was then she realised what he was getting at... and She looked back at him to say in a faint murmur.

"They're made."

Jake nods at her.

"You see Tatenashi... this is one of the things that defines me as a Rank:S... as much as I hate it though." Jake said.

"Hate it? Why?" She asked.

"I'm afraid that's a personal question id rather not answer." Jake sighs... then he notices the time and expects that Ichika might be back soon, so now was a good time to end this conversation.

"Listen Tatenashi... I'm grateful for all you did for me, but I think I should finish this now." He said as he points at his wound. "And if I may, all I ask of you is just one thing."

"Which is?" Tatenashi asked, and that was when Jake steps forward and placed his hands on her shoulders, looking directly into her ruby red eyes as he as he said.

"Please... please keep what happened in here between us, no one knows of this blood I have causing through me... and I need to keep it that way... its better for them that way."

Tatenashi looks into Jakes eye, and could see that he was being very serious about the matter at hand, but at the same time she sensed the feeling in him that was begging her to keep this quiet, she paused for a second to think about it... but in the end, she could see that Jake was relying on her... and nods quietly at him.

"Thank you." Jake said calmly.

With the situation dealt with, Tatenashi decided to leave Jake for now, and after packing up her medical supplies she heads to the door, but as she reaches it she turns back to Jake to give him one last smile.

"I promise I'll keep your secret Jake." She said, gaining a smile from him as he said.

"I trust you."

Tatenashi walks out of the room to leave Jake, but as soon as the door shuts... Jakes expression shifts to one of anger and frustration.

"Fuck." He mutters as he wipes a finger in the black liquid seeping from his wound, rubbing it between his fingers and sighs.

"This was the last thing I needed anyone to see."


	17. The Eye of the Demon

Eye of the Demon

* * *

Jake leans against the balcony, watching the warm orange glow of the rising sun as his collar sways gently from the cool morning air calmly flowing past his body. It was in the early hours of the morning and he had come to the roof of the dorm house to get some fresh and try two his mind as he thinks back on the recent events that had occurred two days ago. Houki's near kidnapping, the fact that it could have been for a bigger reason than people were thinking, or that there was a chance that the ones that hired them were closer than he thought... watching... waiting for another shot, and that he had no idea who or where they were at the moment and was waiting for Mimi to get back to him if she finds anything. However that wasn't the thought that was at the top of his mind, and he sighs in frustration as he struggles to shift this thought.

The thought of knowing that someone in the academy now knows that he has more than blood causing through his veins.

"Now I have another problem on my hands." He mutters as he places a hand over his wound that he had sustained... the wound that revealed one of his darker aspects. The wound had healed over by now thanks to the fact that Jake naturally possessed the ability to heal much more rapidly than most people, but he could still feel the scar of the bullet wound that was now left on him. He remembers that look on Tatenashi's face as soon as she saw the blood that he considers a curse to him and that alone wasn't that reassuring for him... but he was grateful that she would keep his secret.

"Geez, I need to relax a bit more." He said as he reached into his blazer pocket to take out the pack of cigarette's he had kept on him since he arrived at the academy. Jake looks at the pack and sighs a little... he knew that smoking on campus was against the rules... but by this point he didn't really seem that bothered as he takes one out and lights it, taking a deep breath he inhales the smoke and puffs out the grey cloud, watching it fade away in the air as the nicotine creeps through his body to help him relax a little more.

"Ah... that's better." He said through a faint smile as he continues to watch the sun rise.

Jake stands as he lets out another puff of smoke to pass time, and then he hears a voice in the back of his ear.

"Jake... why are you smoking, you know its against the rules here." Said a female voice from behind him, startling him and nearly causes him to drop his cigarette as he spins round... but then he furrows his brow when he sees that it was just Tohka that was standing behind

him, smirking at him with her arms folded.

"Tohka... Don't sneak up on me like that." Jake manages through a staggered breath, holding a hand on his chest to check if his heart hadn't jumped out of him. Tohka just giggled at him.

"Well if you don't want me to show up unannounced... you should turn that off." Tohka said, pointing at Jake's collar. He looks down where she was pointing and sighs when he sees that he hadn't switched off one of the portable hollo-projectors that he uses to allow Tohka to appear when his IS isn't active, and she had taken the advantage of this to give Jake a little morning trolling. Jake just groans from the little shock he'd gotten and just turns away from Tohka to lean against the barrier again.

"I just needed some time to relax Tohka... my mind has had a lot on it recently."

"You're telling me." The hologram said as she walks up next to Jake and leans against the barrier as well to look out at the city in the distance. "Did you hear anything from Mimi yet."

Jake looks ahead instead of at Tohka as he plainly answers. "Not yet... but I trust she's doing her job just now."

Tohka notices that Jake seemed to be focusing down on the city across the bay, and the young hologram couldn't help but feel that her pilot had something that was bugging his mind.

"You think the ones that hired the guys to take Houki are somewhere in the city?" She asks, and this time Jake turns to face her.

"Yeah... and I can help but feel like they're watching." He said before taking another puff of his cigarette, turning back he looks out over the bay... wondering when he was hear from his little friend back at FEISAR about who these people might be... and if he could track them down. Tohka thinks about the things that Jake has had on his mind recently as well, and couldn't help but feel a little bad for the young man, given the pressure on his shoulders that he's carried for so long since he started working as an IS pilot. She reached over and placed a hand on Jakes shoulder, and although he couldn't feel her... Jake could at least sense her actions and turned to look back at his co-pilot, who was staring back at him with soft, reassuring eyes.

"try not to worry about worry about it as much as you are JJ." Tohka said softly to him. "I know that Mimi will do her job, until then, try not to let it get to you."

"Its not that that is bothering me Tohka." Jake said, then he reached into his shirt pocket and pulls out the locket that he keeps on him... The one that he calls his Jackson Heart and looks down at it in his hand. Tohka raises a brow at him for a second... She knew what that locket meant to Jake, so hearing him say something was bothering him and makes him have to involve his locket to her didn't seem to make sense.

"What's you're Heart got to do with this?" She asked.

"I'm worried... That the people that tried to take Houki." Jake then looks up at Tohka. "Are the same ones that broke this Heart."

Tohka looks at Jake in silence for a second, know exactly who he was talking about... And the pain they put him through many years ago. She knew that Jackson had never forgotten their names, for good reason... but hearing him say that they might be closer to the academy than he thinks was a worrying thought to say the least. Tohka looks back out to the city as she gets up from the barrier.

"Admittedly... that would be very bad news if they are... but we don't know for sure JJ, so I think the best thing to do is focus on what's at hand for now." She said to try and take Jakes mind off the worry. Jackson takes one last puff from his cigarette before tossing it over the edge of the building, watching as it breaks up in the air and the ashes disappear.

"Maybe that's a better thing for now... But I'm not letting it slide Tohka, its too big a risk to do so." He said as he gets up and straightens his Jacket out.

"I understand JJ, but I think for now you should let it go for today... besides, class is gonna start soon." She said, and Jake looks at his watch to she that she was right. And on that note, Jake nods at her.

"Fine, I will for today... for now, time for you to return home Tohka." He said, and Tohka smiles at him as she dissipates into light particles an vanishes into thin air, leaving Jake on his own as he walks to the door on the roof to make his way down to class.

* * *

Class went on as per normal for most of the day. Jake didn't seem to say much in class as the lesson went on. He looks up though near the end of class to Houki's seat, who seemed to sense the eye of the young boy watching her and turns back to look at him. Jake gives her a light smile and tipped his hat to her, which she returns with a smile of her own.

Jake was glad to see that she had made quiet a swift recovery from the incident a few days ago, and had heard from her that the others had fully explained to her that it was him that had done most of the heavy lifting in terms of saving her... something that Houki had thanked him for from the bottom of her heart and was grateful for. Class ended and the students left to enjoy the remainder of the day, whereas Jake however had decided to stay back and do some extra work and go through some of the more advanced guides regarding the IS to get a little more knowledge in while he had time before his close combat practice at the Dojo... However as he was quietly reading his book, he hears footsteps nearby and looks up to see that it was Chifuyu that had entered the room.

"Evening Ma'am." He said politely, smiling at the teacher... However, Chifuyu didn't seem to say anything... and when she reached his desk she just folds her arms at the young man and gives him a rather stern look. Jake's smile quickly drops and is a little off put by the look he was getting from his teacher.

"Errrrrrrrr... What's wrong?" He asked out of curiosity. And that was when Chifuyu reached into her pocket to pull out a small clear bag and holds it out in front of Jake.

"This happen to be yours Jackson." She said firmly. Jake looks closer at the bag... and it was at that moment when he felt a cold sweat wash over him as he notices the butt of the cigarette that he had smoked earlier that day. Jake swallows dryly, both worried and annoyed that by sheer bad luck, Chifuyu seemed to have come across it on her way to class this morning... and knowing that there were only two males in the academy... the blame instantly points to him.

"Errrrrrrrrrrrr?" Was all Jake was able to say, and that wasn't a good enough answer for Chifuyu... which she proved by driving her fist so hard into the top of Jake's head that not only did he hit his head off the desk, but he flung back so fast that his seat topples and he falls to the floor with a massive thud. The sound of his crash was so loud that a few girls nearby heard it and were now peeking through the door of the class to see Miss. Orimura standing over Jake, who lay flat on his back and clenching his face in both hands, groaning from the pain of just being hit.

"Oh my, what happened here?" One girl asked.

"Who knows... but it seems Jackson could be in trouble." Another said.

"Shhhh, keep it down or we'll get caught." One said to silence the others as they listen in on the ordeal going on in the class. Chifuyu looks down at Jake and tosses the small bag onto him as he tries to find his feet after that crippling hit he just took.

"Smoking on campus is strictly against the rules Jackson... You should know better than to be chancing that." She snaps Jake finally manages to get off the floor, staggering and dazed he has to lean against one of the desks to stay up. Outside the class the girls that were listening in all look at each other, a little surprised by what they were hearing.

"What? JJ smokes." One said in surprise.

"Huh, I didn't think he was that type of person." Another said.

"Well... no we know why's in trouble." The third one said, and then they look back through the crack in the door to continue listening.

Jake finally manages to find his own balance after a minute, placing a hand on his nose to check that Chifuyu hadn't broken it when she smashed his head against the desk. Fortunately for him he hadn't seemed to have broken it, but felt like he should be honest now to avoid another hit like that.

"Forgiveness Ma'am." He said politely and bows to apologies to her. "I was stressed out earlier and this was just one thing I usually do to calm down."

"Its against rules to do so Jake... and you know that." Chifuyu said firmly to him.

"I know, and I apologies... but you know that I have had a lot on my shoulders these last couple of days... I just needed to vent it out a little." Jake said to plead his case, but it didn't seem to shift Chifuyu's opinion.

"And what makes that acceptable to break a rule." She questions. Jake sighs a little as he thinks of a way that he could get out of this with minimal damage sustain. And that's when he gets an idea from something he remembers seeing a day ago... a risky one, but one that might save beacon if played right.

"Well... if we are playing it that way Ma'am." Jake said as he folds his arms at her. "I'm afraid you cant judge me on that... seeing is that we are as bad as one another."

At that moment Chifuyu was really tempted to give Jake another bash over the head, but instead... she turns her head back the door of the class.

"If you girls know what's good for you, I'd suggest that you leave us be... right now." She snapped, and Jake looks past her to hear the faint shrieks of a few panicked girl that were eavesdropping on him and Miss. Orimura, and the sound of them running away was heard... but as soon as the footsteps were no longer heard, Chifuyu turns her attention back to what Jackson last said.

"And what do you mean by that." She said, folding her arms at him. Jake straightens his hat out and looks into her eyes with an equally serious expression.

"Well... although smoking is against academy rules... so is drinking, and I saw that bottle of scotch in your office when you called for me after bringing Houki back." He said, folding his arms at Chifuyu... causing her to raise a brow at him, not sure at what he was getting at.

"And where are you going with this one Jackson." She asks.

"Where I'm going is that when I passed your office this morning, I saw that same bottle again... and call me crazy, but I noticed that it seemed to be a little emptier than I remembered seeing last time... Maybe three shots worth of scotch lower... If I had to guess, I'd say you had a little time to relax and distress after talking to me that day." Jake said, this time a small crooked smirk could be seen tugging at the corner of his lips. Whereas Chifuyu just glares at him for accusing her like that.

"So what if you are right." She said, wanting to put Jake's bravery to a little test of hers. "What if I did have a drink during the hours... where does that leave us huh Jake."

"It leaves us at a point where you cant punish me for this... without sounding like a total hypocrite." Jake smirks. Chifuyu breathes sharply through her nose... fighting the urge to bash the smug young man into the ground... but as Jake was hoping for, she pinched the bridge of her nose and sighs in frustration at him.

"Damnit Jake... even with one eye, you don't miss a damn thing don't you." She huffs in annoyance, knowing that he was right. So she had to rethink what she was going to say to avoid being a hypocrite.

"Look, at the end of the day, you broke a rule and I cant really let that go as a teacher... but seeing is that you put up a good point, I will let this one slide." She said, gaining a small smile of victory from Jake, however it was short lived when she raises a finger to him.

"But... only if you clean this classroom properly after you are done here... after that, I better not catch you smoking on campus again... Got it." She said firmly, Jake looks around at the class to assess the place, and seeing that it wasn't really that messy, he seemed that it won't hurt his day as much if he was to just take an hour or two to clean up.

"That sounds reasonable to me... Okay Chifuyu, I'll tidy up when I'm done here." He said.

Chifuyu nods at him and ends the conversation there to go take care of other important manners and leave Jake to clear up... and as the door closes, Jake slumps back in one of the chairs and lets off a deep breath after surviving that ordeal... knowing that had he not trapped Chifuyu like that, then odds were that he would have more than just a bruised cheek and a bump on his head at the end of this. Just then, Tohka reappears in front of him as his hollo-projector actives again, and Jake looks up to see the hologram sitting on the desk in front of him with the most surprised of expressions on her face.

"JJ... Do you realise how dangerous of a stunt that was you just pulled." She said out of concern for her pilot, and Jake just nods ever so slightly at her.

"Yeah... I know, but what other choice did I have." He replies. Tohka placed a palm flat on her forehead, still finding it hard to process that Jake had just blatantly blackmailed his superior... and somehow manages to survive. She knew that luck was usually on JJ's side... but now she was starting to think that he was maybe testing his luck a little too much now.

"Well... if you hadn't been smoking on campus in the first place, Jake... then that wouldn't have had to happen." Tohka said as she folds her arms at the young man. "Now I'm stuck with you till this whole damn class is cleaned."

Jake just huffs at the hologram as he gets up out of his seat.

"Oh shut up Tohka... its not like you do anything else other than troll me." He said sarcastically, stretching his arms out as he looks round the class, thinking it would be a good time to start. "Right... where's that mop and bucket?"

* * *

It was later that evening.

Laura walks through the quiet halls of the IS academy as she makes her way back to her room after extra training at the arena. She had wondered where Jake had been lately as she was expecting to have seen him at the arena as well and could have gotten a chance to have compared tactics with him to learn a little more about the young Texans training back in the states... but luck didn't seem to be on her side today as she found out that it was only her and a few of the other senior students, that in honest opinion to her weren't that much of a match to be practicing with.

"I wonder if he went somewhere else to train." She ponders as she walks past her classroom... However as she does, in the corner of her eye she spotted Jake in the class through the open door. The desks of the class had been moved to the back of the room and Jake was casually whistling a tune to himself as he was mopping the floor clean. Laura in honest opinion was a little surprised by what she was seeing, confused by the fact that of all the things she could have seen Jake doing... Cleaning the class wasn't one of those things. Laura stayed near the door for a second to watch Jake, until the young man stops what he was doing and just looks up with his back still to her.

"I know you're watching me again Laura... something on your mind." He casually says as he turns back around to see her standing near the door entrance. Laura keeps her usual composure as she walks into the classroom, looking around to see what Jake had done.

"I was curious to why you were in here Jake... I didn't see you at the arena like you said you were going to be. Instead you're cleaning the class?" She asked as she folds her arms to Jake, who just chuckles a little as he rests against his mop.

"Ah, well... it seems I might have broken a school rule... so Chifuyu said I had to deal with the class before I could do anything else." Jake said.

"Break a school rule huh." Laura says, sounding a little more curious now. "And what do you mean by that?"

"Something pretty pointless and dumb if you ask me... but at the end of it, there isn't much you can do when negotiating with Miss. Orimura." Jake huffs a little in frustration as he looks back at the class... it had been at least a good three hours since he had started work on the class... and he still had a fair bit to do before he could say the place was finished... well, to Chifuyu's standards at least.

"Although, I'm flattered that you seemed to be disappointed that I couldn't make it to extra training." Jackson then said through a crooked smirk as he folds his arms at the silver haired girl, before chuckling. "I didn't think you'd miss me that much."

Laura goes wide eyed and blushes a little, a little flustered by the fact that it seemed that Jake was flirting with her. Jake chuckled a little at the reaction that he got form the young soldier, but Laura soon finds her composure and just gives the boy a huff.

"Don't flatter yourself." She scoffs, folding her arms and turning her head away from Jake as she said that.

"Lighten up, Laura... I was just messing with you." Jake said through a humorous grin. He stepped back to continue cleaning the room... but as he turns round, he steps on the end of his mop and slips.

"Gwah!"

Jake's yell caused Laura to turn around just in time to see him stumble back and bash his head off the side of one of the desks, knocking his hat off as he hits the floor... the thud echo's throughout the empty class.

"Jake..." She asked as she steps forward and gets down on one knee, looking over Jackson to see if the young boy was still conscious after that fall. "You okay."

Jake groans from the sharp pain rushing through his head after that hit, wondering just how big of a black eye he was going to get from that. Then he feels something prod his shoulder, and soon realises that it was Laura... checking to see if he was dead or something.

"You alive." She said bluntly as she prods him again... and that was when Jake rolled over to show his face... and within seconds, Laura felt her heart stop as a pang of fear shoots through her.

"What?!" She stuttered.

Jake looks at her for a second, confused as to why she had shifted moods so rapidly... and that's when he looks down to see that his hat wasn't the only thing that fall had knocked off of him... And he to felt his body freeze for a second... because laying next to his hat on the ground.

Was his eyepatch... and Laura could finally see what had been hiding behind it.

Laura began to quake in fear at the sight that was in front of her. The white of Jake's left eye was as black as the night, showing a dark glow around the edge of his pupil... which was a deep shade of scarlet red... but the shape of his iris was different to the one in his right eye, it was in the sharp and piercing shape of a serpents eye... boring deep into Laura's as she struggles to take her sight away from this Demonic and hypnotising eye of Jake's.

"Laura..." She hears Jake say, reaching a hand out to her to try and calm her down, but it seemed that his voice only snapped her out of some kind of trance... because the second she looks at Jake again, she cried out and throws herself back, scuttling away from him in fear... as if she had just seen a ghost or something horrifying.

"Stay back." She snapped as she backs away from Jake, until she had her back to the wall... breathing heavily as she shakes in fear.

"Laura... please calm down, let me talk for a second." Jake said calmly, he tried to step forward and reassure her... but Laura reacted by throwing a chair in his direction... Jake holds up an arm to block the chair, but as soon as he looks back to where Laura was, he saw that she was already running to the door to get away.

"Stay away from me... you monster." She shouts as she runs out of the door.

"Laura... wait." Jake calls out... but it was too late, because Laura was gone... Jake stood their in silence. Unable to process what had just happened. But he knew that this wasn't good... Laura had seen his deepest hidden secret... and a reaction like that want a good sign in any way.

"FUCK!" He shouts as he smashed his fist against the desk next to him., cracking the surface of it from the force of his punch, Jake then buries his face into his palms as he tries with all his willpower not to lose his temper. "Why... did she have to see this."

He breathes deeply as he picks up his eyepatch and returns it to the spot it belongs at, as well as his hat and decided there and then that he was done here... he had to go back to his room and try to calm down... Hoping that the young silver haired girl would be able to calm down.

* * *

Laura runs as fast as her legs would carry her, darting through the empty halls of the academy to put as much distance between her and Jake as she could... When she finally reached her dorm, she slams the door behind her and locks it. stepping back from the door, Laura staggers for breathe, shaking as she grips her hair between her fingers... mortified by the sight that she had just witnessed at the class.

"No... It cant be... It can't really be him." She murmurs to herself, trying not to think of what Jake's Demonic red eye had tried to bring out of her... but in those few seconds, his eye had etched itself in her mind... And for Laura... a series of traumatising memories from deep in her past were being resurrected by it. She stumbles back onto her bed, digging her palms into her face as she twists and turns in the sheets... and then, for a brief second... everything goes black.

Laura blinks frantically as she tried to regain her sight... but a faint blur was all that was seen... until... she hears the sound of crackling flames around her. Laura shut her eyes again and kept them shut for a few seconds before opening them again... and what she saw next, struck a shivering sense of fear into her.

She found herself laying on the ground, bound in an IS... and although it wasn't originally hers, she soon recognises it to be the same standard model that she had trained with back in Germany... she tried to get up, but was overcome by the extreme pain that was rushing through her, and when she looks down, she quakes as she realises that her leg was broken and both her arms were dislocated, her body riddled with deep gashes that were bleeding heavily. Turning her head round she could only see flames and rubble, for the smoke was thick and blinding... but then, it lifts a little and Laura gasps from the sight she sees... lying round her immobilised body.

Were the corpses of her fallen fellow squad mates from her division in the German IS program.

A tear could be seen forming in Laura's eye as she looks around to see that she was the only one left alive from this brutal attack on her home base... that now mostly lies in rubble and smoke... then she hears the unmistakable sound of metal components moving nearby her.

Laura turns her head round to look in front of her and freezes when she see what she believed to be the machine responsible for the destruction she was forced into... as a Gun-Metal grey IS walks out of the smoke towards her, its form showing the signs of battle damage on it... as well as the blood of her friends staining it's cold steel body... and in its hand, it held a long thin sword... drenched in blood and oil. As the mysterious IS comes closer to Laura, she looks up to it face and saw that a section of the metal plating on the IS's facial armour was blown off, revealing a cold, demonic black and red snakes eye that was staring into her with murderous intent. She assumed there that this IS was coming to finish her off and prepares for the worst... but in the time it takes for her to blink.

everything changes again.

Laura gasps for breath as she frantically looks around to see that the flames and smoke had disappeared, the bodies of her fallen friends gone... and the Gun-Metal Ghost of her mind was nowhere to be seen... she was back in her room.

Laura breathes deeply to try and calm down, then she touched the side of her face to feel that the only thing that seemed to have happened in both her dream and reality... was the tear she had shed after seeing her dead comrades... because that wasn't a dream to her... it was a nightmare she had tried to forget for years... a nightmare forged from one of the most horrifying events she had ever faced in the IS program... And Jake's Demonic eye had brought it back to her.

"It... It... was, him." Laura mutters to herself... seeing that the eye she saw today... was the same eye she saw all those years ago.

"He's the monster that killed my friends." Laura said lowly, before her fist clenched into a tight ball. "And all this time... he was right in front of me."

Laura grits her teeth as she realised that a monster she had sworn vengeance on had been under her nose for so long... and surely but slowly... her expression changes.

From fear and sadness... to anger, and pure rage, with the intent to kill.


	18. Old Nightmares and New Fears

Reignite the fires of Hell

Jackson sits on his own in the cafeteria, looking down at his plate as he twiddles his thumbs together... his thoughts deep in a state of worry and unsureness. it had been two days since that fateful incident back at the class when Laura had been unlucky enough to have caught a glimpse of the one thing he kept a secret from everyone except his squadron... that terrifying black and red demons eye that he was scared with and had carried as a part of him for as long as he can remember. Jake had been worried about the young German girl ever since she had ran away from him in fear after that day, and was left wondering just kind of mind games that seeing his cursed eye had given her for the last two days.

"Hey JJ, mind if I sit here?" He hears the familiar voice of the only other male in the academy from nearby, snapping him out of his train of thoughts as he looks up to see Ichika looking down with his tray in hand.

"Yeah... no problem Ichika." Jake said quietly and slides other to allow his friend to sit down next to him. The two boys sat in silence as they continued to eat their chosen meals, when Ichika suddenly speaks up.

"Jake?"

"Huh, what is it Ich?" Jake asks as he keeps his eye on his food.

"Have you noticed that Laura seems to be acting a little strange lately." Ichika asked, and the instant that Jake hears him say that, he stops all signs of movement... not even a flinch as he turns to face Ichika.

"And what do you mean by that?" Jake askes.

"Well... It's just that I heard that she had passed by you that day you were cleaning the class... and since then she hasn't really been the same, she distances herself from the others... goes off and doesn't say anything about where she was to anyone and has a worrying look about her... you wouldn't happen to know why Jake?"

Before he could say anything else... Ichika is startled by the bright flash and deafening rumble of a nearby lightning strike from outside the academy. The weather had stated that a heavy thunder storm was to hit today and as a result, practice was cancelled... however experienced pilots could use the arena if wanted. As Ichika glanced out of the window near them to see the rain beating heavily on the glass, he looks back to see that Jake hadn't even flinched from the lightning strike... if anything, he was looking directly at Ichika with a serious expression of his face as he answered.

"Are you trying to accuse me of something Ich?" He asked firmly, causing Ichika to back off.

"What... no JJ, I'm just a little concerned about Laura, and her friends are as well. So I thought id ask if you might know what's gotten into her?" Ichika said to try and clear the air with Jake, realising a little too late that he sound a little he was pointing a finger in his direction. Jake noticed Ichika's attempt and takes a silent breath to calm himself, knowing that he was aware of his screw up and didn't go looking to take it any further.

"Look... If I knew what was wrong with her, I'd tell you... but she hasn't really been around me so as far as I know Ich... I cant say what might be up with her." Jake said calmly as he gets up from his seat and picks his tray up. As he vacates from his table he turns back see a now very confused Ichika stare back at him... wondering himself as to why Jake was acting in his somewhat similar to how Laura has been acting these last two days.

"I would be careful when pushing for answers Ich." Jackson said to get his attention again. "Sometimes its just better to leave it... finding the answer isn't always the best option."

And with that said, Jake turns away and leaves Ichika alone at his table to think about what he just said. Ichika watched as his friend walks out of the cafeteria and head in the direction of the locker room... expecting that he would be going out into the arena.

* * *

A little later that morning, Jake stands near the exit to one of the arena hangers in his piloting suit. The heavy rain batters on the gravel floor of the arena as the energy barrier was deactivated for now, exposing the arena to the elements and rendering it empty as no other students had decided to go for practice in this weather today.

"Looks like its just us today JJ." Tohka says as she uses the holo-projetor on Jakes suit to reappear and stand next to him as they look out to the empty arena.

"A little rain isn't so bad Tohka." Jake said as he stretches his arms out and cracks his knuckles. "And the peace should do some good."

"Well then, shall we get to it then JJ."

Jake smirks as he shut his eyes and is consumed by the bright light as he Activates (Storm Ghost) and hits the thrusters, flying out into the stormy weather and twisting in the air as he does a series of pre-combat checks on his IS.

"Lets see... Gyroscopic flaps are stable and fully functional, thrusters are at 20% and show all green signs, energy shield is operational and fully charged... Wind speed: 60mph, visibility without thermal optics is nominal and all self-stabilising systems are up and running." He murmurs as he checks over his machine to make sure that he was all set for practicing high speed combat in this dangerous weather, and within a few moments he hears the green buzzer in his ear to indicate that all system checks had been successful.

"That's all system ready and up Tohka." Jake said as he reaches behind him and draws his H.F Blade. "Lets go have some fun."

He hears Tohka chuckle over his comms as she uses the arena's virtual target projectors to show a various array of bullseye targets on Jakes scanner.

"Targets are up and ready JJ... Weapons hot."

With his targets in sight, Jake hits the throttle flies towards them at high speed, picking out the closest one to him he sweeps round behind the bullseye and with one swift motion he slices it clean in half and fires a burst from his plasma cannons, hitting the other six targets on the other side of the arena and scoring perfect hits on all of them. Chuckling from behind his visor armour, Jake rolls into an invert and performs a split S move to hit the deck. Despite his poor vision in the storm, Jake remains totally focused as a series of targets flash up on his scanners either side of him, keeping his speed up he performs a series of sharp half rolls, firing short bursts from his cannons to eliminate the targets as he passes them, then he pulls a hard right and flies a few mere inches from the arena wall as he fires at the next line of targets that appear along the centre line of the arena. Jake decides to use his blade to finish off the last target and charges at it at high speed... but as he prepares to skewer the target in front of him... his Hyper-Senor suddenly kicked in out of nowhere.

(Enemy Target Lock: Impact Imminent)

"What the Hell!" Jake stutters, completely caught off guard by this as he hears a loud gunshot go off from behind him. He rolls his IS and is wide eyed when he spots a large calibre high explosive cannon round heading straight for him.

"Oh SHIT! Tohka, amp up the blade frequency... NOW!" Jake shouts, and without hesitation, Tohka diverts a massive charge from Jakes power reserve and the edge of his H.F sparks with bolts of purple lightning as he quickly reacts to the incoming shell and hits right before it strikes his IS. The High Frequency Blade slices the shell clean in half and force the fragments to pass mere inches from either side of Jake before exploding in the ground beneath him. The blast waves rattle his IS and take a small portion of his shield energy, but it was minimal and didn't damage him. Jake backflips his IS and lands on the arena floor, trailing a cloud of dust in frontof him as he skids to a stop on the deck.

"Where the fuck did that come from?" He snaps as he starts scanning the arena frantically to spot the source of that attack that just nearly knocked him out of the air. because of the dust cloud he had created and aided by the harsh weather that was pouring down on him, he was unable to get eyes on his attacker, so he quickly switches to thermal optics but is met by a bright flash on his visor as another high explosive round is fired at him from a distance.

"Jesus!" He stutters as he dives out of the way to avoid being hit by the shell... and in the blinding fireball of the following explosion, Jake just barely manages to spot his attacker as an unknown IS charges at him at high speed. Jake takes an aggressive stance and prepares to fight back against his attacker... when he finally hears the voice of the one piloting the machine... and that familiar voice causes his blood to chill.

"DIEEEEE YOU MONSTER!" Laura screams as she draws her energy sabres and charges at Jake.

"What the fuck!?" Jake said as he barley reacts in time, using his sword to block the two energy sabres, then drives his blade upwards to try and knock her of balance, but Laura seemed to react quickly to this and retaliates with a fast three strike combo, forcing Jake on the defensive. Sparks fly in all direction as the two purple energy sabres bounce aimlessly off the edge of Jakes sword, but Laura refuses to let back and catches Jake off guard by kicking one of his legs out from under him, causing him to drop to one knee and Laura brings both sabres down with all her strength. Jake grips both ends of his blade and reacts just in time to block the attack, but down on one knee meant that he was forced to bare the full might of Laura's strength... and soon begins to feel his arms giving as she pushes his IS back with the sheer force of her strike. In a desperate effort to break free, Jackson fires a warning burst from his plasma cannons... the explosive energy shots detonate around Laura and force her off of him to avoid taking any damage and Jake takes advantage of this and retreats to a safer distance.

Jake lands back on one of the hanger runways to puts something solid behind his back in order to prevent another sneak attack as he scans the arena again to get eyes on the young German girl... and it didn't take him long to pick up that tell tail heat signature hiding him a cloud of dust near his location.

"There you are." He muttered as he charges up his cannons and fires another burst near the cloud, the resulting blast waves of explosive plasma force the dust to dissipate... however as soon as the black IS comes into vision, Jake is startled when he sees that massive rail-gun of Laura's was charging up again and pointed straight at his IS once more. "Oh Fuck?!"

"Hold still you little bastard." Laura said through gritted teeth as she fires her main gun at the Black and purple IS... but Jake had reacted with minimal time to spare again as he side shifts just in time to dodge the shell as it hits the hanger door behind him, blowing it to pieces.

"Laura... What the hell has gotten into you?!" Jake shouts out, trying to understand why he had become a target for Laura's rage, but it didn't seem like she was listening to him as she deploys her homing grapples.

"Shut up and face me you coward." She said as she takes flight and gives chase to Jackson.

"What? Why?" Jake said in shock, still unable to fathom why Laura had suddenly become so fixated on fighting. He rolls and weaves through the air, his IS working overtime to fight both the storm and keep out of reach of Laura who was still hot on his tail. Laura tries to use her homing grapples to subdue and restrain Jake's movements... however Jake was somewhat aware of that intention and kept his blade drawn as he twisted through the sky, slashing at the cables whenever they got within reach in an attempt to keep Laura off him. Growing ever more frustrated with his resistance, Laura tries to cut off Jakes flight path and fires her cannon again in the direction she was predicting him to head. Jakes Hyper-Sensors pick up the round coming in on his six o'clock and rolls right to avoid the shot... and that was his first mistake.

"Got you now." Laura smirks as she deploys her homing grapples again right after firing at Jake... and by the time he realised the danger, it was already too late, he had lost too much speed in the turn to evade and one of the grapples wrap around his right leg and grip him tightly. Before he could cut the cable with his blade, Laura pulled a violent reverse thrust turn and whips the cable back... the sheer force and change of direction was so strong that Jakes sword was ripped out of his hand and left him no time to even think of countering as he was suddenly pulled back and thrown threw the air back towards Laura.

"Shit... Tohka, stabilize, stabilize." Jake shouts over the comms as both he and Tohka frantically try to regain control on the IS, but before he could do so... a sudden shockwave rattles through his back and his armour rattles as Laura uses the momentum of her attack to follow up with a devastating aerial kick. Jack is once again sent flying through the sky in an uncontrollable spiral and crashes into the side wall of the arena. Dazed by the earth shattering hit he just took, Jake drooped to a knee on the gravel and tries to catch a breath, checking his systems to see that his shield had lost a fair amount in the last few attacks he took and had sustained minor battle damage, but then his sensors kick off again and he looks up to see that Laura was charging at him once again, her duel sabres baring down on him as she screams at him, going in for what could only be an attempt at a killing blow. Her actions weren't logical, her attempts were annoying... and her persistence was starting to get under Jake's skin... so much in fact that by now... Jake had finally had enough of this, and through gritted teeth he glared at his attacker and shouts at out.

"Enough!"

Quickly getting back onto his feet, Jackson rotates his wings and fires up his thrusters. Laura spots this far too late and right before she could hit Jake with her Sabres, he blasted her with his Jet Punch attack and sends her flying back. Laura back flips and rolls across the ground as she tries to regain control of her IS after that sudden outburst from Jake, but as soon as she finds her feet she looks back to see Jackson charging at her at high speed, taking her by surprise as he lands a solid punch straight to her stomach, winding her as she is knocked back by this. She tried to use her A.I.C Barrier to freeze Jake, but he sees the movement and side shifts to evade, using his momentum to spin his IS and strike Laura in the side with one of his wings bladed tips and shave another small portion of her shield off. Frustrated by this, Laura kicks one of Jake feet out from under him again and forces him off balance in order to try and strike him with an energy sabre, but Jake reacted too quickly and grabs her wrist, forcing the sabre to skim his facial armour... he twisted her arm to pin her and the clang of metal bashing metal echo's as he kicks her back. Laura charges Jake, but he shuts her down by front flipping his IS, bringing the bladed tips of his upper wings down, forcing her to use her sabres to block the attack, but is nearly forced to her knees by the sheer force of Jakes strike.

"You gonna give up this game now." Jake grunts as he pushes down even harder to keep Laura pinned, but all she did was staring at the armoured plating that hid his face with murderous intent, before shouting.

"Not until you die."

Without warning she charges her cannon and aims at Jake at point blank range... nearly causing Jake to back off, but thanks to his quick thinking he reacts by smashing one of his lower wings into the bottom of the cannon, forcing it of course right as it fired... missing Jake by mere inches, the blast nearly deafening both pilots. Before Laura could try another shot at Jake she is stunned when Jake backflips away from her, striking her with his lower wings as he did so. Taking advantage of his stun, Jake spread his wings and fires his two Snub-Hellfire missiles at Laura... However Laura was just able to deploy her A.I.C in time to stop the two missiles right before they hit.

"Nice try, but nothing can match my cancelling barrier." Laura said smugly, but then she noticed something... Jake had vanished from sight again, quickly checking her Hyper-Sensors for any movement but nothing was showing up... Jackson had activated his Phantoms Cloak to hide within the harsh weather of the storm, and by the time Laura could predict where he'd strike from... it was too little too late, she had done exactly what he wanted her to do... She tunnel versioned his attack and was left open as Jake suddenly reappears behind her, planting his knee into her back. Laura winces from the pain of the hit, and was pretty sure she could hear joints cracking as she is sent crashing forward and slides across the ground, because of this attack her A.I.C was deactivated and Jakes two missiles are released and shoot past either side of him. As Laura picks herself up from the dirt she spots that the two missiles had regained target lock... and were turning back round to bare down on her. She tried to use her cancelling barrier to stop them... but she'd forgotten something that Jake had up his sleeve.

"Not this time." He said as he fires two of his E.M.G's at Laura, and by the time she spots the two orbs heading for her they had already detonated, the pulse waves rattle and shock her body as all electrical systems are temporally shut down... and with no way to activate her barrier, Laura could only lift her arms to shield herself as the two missiles home in and smack into her IS. Two massive explosions rip threw the air and kick up a huge cloud of dust that shrouds Laura from sight. Jake watches the cloud intensively, checking his sensors to make sure she wasn't going to try any other forms of sneak attacks on him... but the heat signature in the cloud seemed to stay motionless, showing no signs of aggressive movement... and after what felt like a much longer fight than it actually was, Jackson lets off a breath of relief after believing that this time... Laura was actually going to stay down this time.

"Jesus... that girl was just as persistent as well as crazy." He sighs as he unlocks his facial armour, feeling the cold rain splash his face as he keeps a keep eye on the cloud.

"You think maybe the missiles were overkill JJ?" Tohka askes as she herself stares at the cloud of dust that his attack had kicked up, wondering what state Laura was in now after that hit.

"Maybe... I didn't want to have to do that... but she was proving to not want to go down so easily." Jake said, feeling somewhat a little guilty that he had probably hurt the young German doing that... but the proof of her persistence was shown on his IS, with scraped paintwork, dented metal scorch marks from her near misses. Keeping his eye on the cloud, Jake walks over to his sword that was skewered into the ground after he had drooped it earlier in the fight... retrieving his weapon, Jackson turns his attention to the dust cloud that Laura was still hidden in, and cautiously he steps towards it to try and find out from her as to why she just tried to attack him so viciously.

Laura stutters for breath, coughing and choking on the dust that surrounded her after taking that massive hit from Jake's missiles. Her interface flashes up with multiple warning signs indicating the level of damage she had sustained, her body ached as the cold rain pours down on her and just like Jake... her IS bared the marks of the fight. She staggers to try and get up, but as she does, she looks up to see that as the cloud begins lift and the sight of her rival appears in the near distance. The anger within her began to rise and she draws an energy sabre and prepares to fight once again... but before she could get up, Jackson spreads his wings and brings every cannon, rocket pod, missile launcher and aims his H.V.R gun at her, charging his weaponry as he draws the tip of his sword at Laura.

"Don't even think about it Laura... I don't want to fight."

Laura glares at Jackson, gritting her teeth as she contemplates on whether she should still attempt to fight... but with every weapon is Jakes arsenal pointing at her at point blank range... she bit her tongue and retracts her sabre. Seeing her comply was enough to allow Jake to lower his guard just a little as he withdraws his weapons, taking his sword and driving it into the dirt in front Laura... and with a sigh of relief, he rests against the hilt of his blade as he finally decides to get to the bottom of this whole ordeal.

"Laura... what's gotten into you." Jake asks.

"Don't play that stupid and childish game with me Jackson." Laura hisses in anger, frustrated by his question. "If you have a brain in that head of yours... you would know why I want to you die."

"Die..." Jackson said out of surprise from Laura's bluntness... she was adamant that her reason for this sudden and violent change of mood towards him... but deep down, somewhere in Jake's mind... he had a faint clue to what could have started it, and with that in mind... he looks at Laura and removes the one part of his facial armour, revealing that demonic black and red snake's eye that she had ran away from in the first place. Laura glares at his eye with hateful intent... remembering that haunting memory from her past that this demons eye resurrected.

"Whatever the reason Laura... I at least know that it was because of this curse of mine that would have caused it." Jake said as he points to his eye, but gained nothing but a stare from the young German.

"It's not just what caused it." Laura huffs. "It's what's tormented me every time I think back to that nightmare I was forced to suffer."

"Nightmare? What are talking about?" Jake said.

"Schwartzer Haze... Five years ago... The Americans sent a small squadron of unmanned IS units to our compound to conduct a series of tests." Laura said, and instantly... she catches Jake's attention. He remembers hearing about this so called agreed military test between America and Germany, but the fact that Laura was there when that experiment was occurring. He listened as Laura continued to speak.

"We trusted your people to allow this... but then... we soon found that to be a terrible mistake." Laura cuts off there when the thought of her lost comrades began to fill her head, and the urge to shed a tear for them was proving hard to beat... but the rain trickling down her face was enough to mask the tears that seeped from her eye. Jackson glanced away for a second after hearing this... because the truth was... he to was aware of what had happened during those tests... and the fact he was an American as well, he didn't feel proud at all of the way his country reacted to this incident, but then he turns to Laura again when he had one last question to ask her.

"Okay... So why attack me five years later... Just because I'm an American... doesn't mean I'm one of them." Jake said as he folds his arms at Laura... and that's when she looks back at him with a hateful glare in her eye.

"The last thing I remember from that day... was a silver IS walking towards me before blacking out... one that we were told was an unmanned unit." And that was when she said something Jake was hoping he wouldn't hear.

"But it wasn't an unmanned unit... It was you... wasn't it."

At that moment, Jake felt his heart beat skip... and without any way to say this without sparking anything... he simply glances away as he said.

"Like I said... I'm not one of them."

"But it was you... you were there... and this whole time... you knew what had happened." Snapped Laura, refusing to hear any denial from Jackson, but he just stares back at her.

"Okay... I was there, but I had nothing to do with what happed at that base." Jackson said bluntly, confirming Laura's assumption was right, but denying involvement.

"Then why were you at that base... you were there days if not nearly over a week before that fateful day." Said Laura... demanding an answer from Jake. However he just looks blankly at her before saying.

"I'm afraid I can't reveal that reason... you as a soldier should know that."

"What about mentor Orimura... does she know?" Laura asked, and Jake sighs as he had a feeling that she would have asked that.

"She... was the one that was instructed with covering me." He said quietly... and at that moment, Laura felt a deep sense of disbelief sweep over her... that Chifuyu Orimura, her Mentor, her source of guidance... and dare she say her reason for existing... Knew that Jackson was a part of one of the worst incidents in the history of the German IS program. Jake takes a step towards the now speechless Laura and holds a hand out to her.

"Laura... whether you believe me or not when I say that I wasn't responsible for the loss of those brave pilots that day... I want you to know that I tried to help them... Chifuyu wasn't hiding this out of spite, she had no choice or else both me, her and a lot of other innocent people could have been affected. My hands don't carry their blood, but trying to soak yours in mine is not going to bring them back." He said as he tries to show Laura that he has no intention of making things any worse than they have already gotten. Laura looks up to see the young mans hand held out in front of her, offering her a lift up to her feet.

"I don't want to fight you... enough innocent blood was shed from this mess... So please, end it and let me and Chifuyu help explain exactly what happened." Jackson said as he lowers the last of his guard to show he wasn't looking to battle it out anymore, and that if anything he wanted to help. Laura remains silent as she looks at Jake's metallic hand that hovers in front of her, her mind a rushed with many thoughts and emotions after hearing half of the things that she had just learned from Jackson... but after a few seconds of silence, a smile was able to grace Jakes face as Laura reached out and grips his hand, he pulls her up to her feet, glad that he had finally gotten through to her and could put this fight behind them.

Or so he thought.

Without warning Laura's expression changed as fast as a lightning bolt, and in one quick motion she grasps Jakes arm and yanks him towards her. Jake was taken completely by shock and is stunned when Laura head-butts him with her metal headband, striking him in the face and nearly breaking his nose.

"Dah fuck... Laura what the He-"

SLASH!

The sound of metal being pierced and flesh being torn open was barely heard over the sound of a passing lightning strike. Jake becomes completely motionless as he feels his legs begin to weaken from beneath him, and a sharp burning pain rips through his chest and spreads throughout his body... the warm feeling of blood seeping down his body be felt as he looks down... and is overcome by the sight he witnessed.

Using his kindness as a weakness and advantage, Laura had taken the chance to stun him with that head-butt... but had used the stun to grab Jakes sword that was still planted in the ground... and drive it straight through his heart. Jackson coughs and splutters up blood as he begins to feel faint from the wound, blood oozed from his body and mixes with the rain that poured down on him, staining the dirt of the arena floor... then he turns to Laura, staring at him with the most lifeless of expressions.

"(Cough) Laura... Why... I said (Cough) I didn't want to fight." He barely managed to say between blood choked coughs.

"You think I would buy that cheap story of yours." Laura said bluntly, and without hesitation she lifts Jakes sword, causing him to groan in pain as she raises his skewered body off the ground.

"I don't know how you got away with what you did all those years ago... but I believe it wasn't because you wanted protect mentor Orimura."

At this point, Jake hears Laura's cannon charge as she aims the barrel of her gun at point blank ranged to the young boys IS.

"But today is the day you will face judgment for your actions." Said Laura in hatred.

"Today you will pay for your sin... today... you die for murdering my friends."

Jake goes wide eyed as the bright glow from that massive barrel engulfs him as he realises that there was no wait out... and the last thing he could before the trigger was pulled is.

"WAIT!"

But Laura had no intention of listening to him, and fires at point blank range. A blinding flash engulfs Jakes vison as the shell from Laura's cannon strikes his IS's chest armour, the earth breaking shockwave rattles his entire body as the explosive force rapidly depletes his shield energy and almost drains in completely in one hit. Jackson was sent flying back threw the air, a muffled gasp from the pain of his sword being ripped out of his chest, blood spurting from the open wound as he looses consciousness in mid flight.

"May your death be the desired vengeance my fallen friends deserve." Laura said lowly. Holding the sword of her fallen opponent, to which she had just fired upon, Laura watched as the Black and Purple IS spiral and cartwheels through the air... only to smash into one of the closed hanger bay doors almost on the other side of the arena.

Jackson crashes through the thin sheet metal of the hanger door, sparks flying in all directions as he hits the cold hard ground and slides across the hanger floor, taking out a training IS unit that was being stored there before he collided with the wall on the far side of the hanger.

"Jackson... Jackson, get up." Tohka pleaded as she calls out to her pilot, but Jake was motionless within armoured IS unit, blood spilling from his wounds and pooling around his body... Tohka checked on his vitals, and it wasn't looking good, he was loosing blood from his chest wound at an alarming rate, his breathing was slowing and his heart rate was declining.

Jake was Dying... and fast.

"Jake... Hold in there, please, don't let go." Tohka continues to plead... but her begs for Jake to fight his wounds were only met by silent shallow breathes from Jake, and in a desperate attempt to save, Tohka activated Jakes system override to allow her to gain full control of his IS and unlocks his armour to allow his body to fall out of his IS, hoping he could find the strength to get up... but he still wasn't moving.

"Jake!"

Just then another female voice is heard in the distance, and it then that Tohka sees Tatenashi, accompanied by Charlotte running into the hanger. The two of them along with a few of the other students had heard Jake and Laura's violent fight from a distance, however by the time they had managed to reach the arena... they were met by the shocking and fear inducing sight of Jake being impaled by his own sword from Laura.

After she had thrown him threw the hanger door, Tatenashi and Charlotte had rushed from the group to aid Jackson... but were brought to a shocking and gruelling sight as they see up close just how serious his wounds were.

"Jake, hang in there." The two girls said as they quickly act to try and save him. Tatenashi rests his head on her lap to prevent him from choking on his own blood and takes one of his hands, holding it in her to monitor his pulse while Charlotte quickly tries to tend to his most fatal wound.

"Damnit... he's loosing blood fast, we have to try and slow the bleeding to allow a medic to arrive in time." She said as she quickly examines the wound and reacts by tearing a sleeve of her blazer off and patches it into Jake's wound. A faint groan comes from the young man as the burning pain in his chest grows, which was a small sign of relief for the girls, his reaction showing that he was still alive... but only barely. However, regardless of his faint and slight movements, Jake was still slowly slipping away, and despite Charlottes efforts to patch his wound and slow the bleeding, nothing seemed to be working.

"Charlotte... we're still losing him, his pulse is fading." Tatenashi said in a worrying tone, clearly starting panic from the situation. Charlotte looks at Jake's face, which was growing ever more pale by the moment, then in a last effort, she presses as hard as she could into the wound, hoping Jake would show a sign of life still in him... but the only thing that Jake could do was cough up another mouthful of blood, which splatters against the side of Charlotte's face.

"Jake!" Tatenashi said in fear as she feels his pulse fade to the point where she could barely tell if it was still beating. Charlotte releases her grip from the wound on Jakes chest and shakes his shoulders rigorously to try and keep him conscious... but he was not responding.

"Jake... Please, don't die... please." She begs, a tear forming in her eye as she helplessly watches her friend die right in front of her... and with one last cough, Jake's head faintly turns to the side as Tatenashi finally loses his pulse... both girls become wide eyed in fear as they cry at the top of their lungs.

"JAAAAAAAAAAAKE!"

* * *

Jackson's eyes slowly begin to open, his vision blurred by the blinding light that was shining down on his face.

"Huh... Where am I?" He groaned as he uses his hand to shield his face from the light, as he starts to come around the smell of burning embers and smoke began to become noticed as Jake's blurred vision slowly begins to recover. Looking around, Jackson found himself in a small room, the walls and floor had been burnt through and glowing hot embers littered the room around him as he tries to get up. As he pulls himself to his feet, he feels his body had become weak and frail as he nearly tumbles to the ground immediately after getting up, and instantly he groans as he feels a sharp burning pain in his chest. He looks down to see that he was still dressed in his IS piloting suit... but it was badly shredded and revealed a large, deep laceration that spread across the left side of his chest. The wound was no longer bleeding, but a thick trailing stain of blood running down Jake's body clearly showed that this wound was a fatal one. Looking over himself Jake could see that he was covered in cuts and bruises with caused his body to ache with every move he made.

Then he takes a second glance around the room he had found himself in... taking in what he saw indicated that this was someone's bedroom, but why was it burnt down like this, he couldn't seem to put the puzzle together... then, out of the corner of his vision he saw the light from the only window in the room turn a deep shade of orange and red... and the faint sound gunfire and explosions began to fill the air, followed by screams of fear and panic. Jake quickly moves to the window, taking cover by one side and peers out to see what was going on... what he saw sent a chill down his spine.

Outside the house he was in, lay a slaughtering ground on panic and madness as he sees two columns of IS Units had closed off the street from both sides, and as they slowly move down the suburb towards each other, the pilots were murdering every innocent civilian that they lay eyes on. Some IS Units were armed with high pressure flame throwers and Jake was sure he could hear the sadistic laugh of the pilots as they began pouring fire into innocent families homes... the pain induced screams ring out as family members run out of the burning house, the survivors shot dead without mercy and those who had been engulfed in fire were left to burn to death. Jake was left wide eyed and stricken with trauma at the sight of the murder parade that he was witnessing... Then he sees a mother, carrying her two young children as she tries to flee from her home and make a break for her car, but one of the IS pilots spots her and without hesitation raised assault rifle and fired upon the three innocents. Jake watches in shock as a round hits the mother in the back of her leg, blowing her lower shin clean off, the woman screams in pain as she tumbles to the ground... her children are traumatised by the sight they were witnessing, but their mother begged them to run, run as fast as they could go... but they were too frightened to move, and as the mother turns back to see how far the pilots were... she could only cry out one last time as one had closed the gap and without mercy, crushed her body under her Units iron foot.

The two terrified children cried in pain and despair at the loss of their mother and with tears streaming down their faces, they look up at their mothers killer... and fear swept over them when they see the twisted smile of the young woman, softly speaking as she raises the nozzle of her flame thrower to the children. "Here... let me dry those tears."

Jake suddenly turns away from the window as he just couldn't bare to watch another second of this madness, but even though he couldn't see, the sound of flames whooshing through the air and a pair of faint screams echoing from behind him sent a bone chilling shiver down him as he backs away from the window.

"This is madness." Jake stuttered as he backs further away from the window, unable to think of why this grim vision was playing out for him... or what it had to do with him. Suddenly, he steps on a weak floor board and the weight of his body forces it to break, the burnt up floor collapsing beneath him as he falls through, crying out in shock, Jake tries to reach out for something but finds himself going through the bedroom floor and crashes through the ceiling of the room below him. With a mighty thud, Jake smashed into a table below him, breaking it in half, dust and debris lands on top of him. Groaning in pain Jake rolls over and managed to find his feet again, but as he gets up and sees the room, something finally clicked in his head.

"Wait... I know this place." He said as he recognises the layout of living room he'd landed in, despite the place being burnt beyond repair, the layout, the way everything would have been placed if the house was fine... it was all familiar to him

"Home... This was my home." He said quietly... then Jake hears the sound of glass cracking as he steps on something. Looking down, Jake saw that he'd trodden on a small photo frame that laid on the floor. Leaning down, Jake picks up the frame and blows the dust off it to see the picture, the glass was badly cracked and broken, but Jake was just able to make out the photo in the frame, there were four in the picture, a family with two kids, one boy and one girl... The father of the family was standing beside his wife with a smile, he was dressed in full uniform... a U.S Navy Seals formal uniform. The wife was in a pretty white and blue dress that was laced with white flowers patterned into the neck and waist line of the dress, smiling as she stood with her family.

"Mom... Dad..." Jake muttered as he looks at the man in the photo that he remembers as his father, then turning to the last two members in the picture... two young children, probably no older than six years old, one boy... one girl. Jake looks at the young girl in the picture... she had dark brown hair and deep blue eyes that shined with her smile as she stood in the photo, her arm round her brothers shoulder... and it was at that moment, Jake started to feel a tear form in the corner of his eye... for remembered this girl... this girl he'd not seen for many, many years.

"Sayaka..." He said faintly, but it was just after saying this... his thoughts were snapped back to reality when a low demonic chuckle echoed through the air, like an unknown presence had been watching as Jake wondered the wreak of his former home. Jake turned round and saw the source on the voice emerge from the shadows... and instantly, he furrowed his brows as he pointed at the figure, muttering in a low growling tone.

"You..."

"Hello Jack..." The figure just chuckles as he approached Jake... he looked just like him from head to toe, wearing a pair of torn black jeans and covered in scars... Jake stares blankly into the black reptilian eyes of the figure as he slowly shakes his head him.

"Stay the fuck away from me." Jake muttered.

"Little late for that." The false figure of Jake said sinisterly as he stops short of him, looking around at the house that the two of them were in... and a demonic laugh seeped from his lips as he looks back at Jake.

"Well... doesn't this place bring back some old childhood traumas."

Jake watches as the false figment of himself begins to slowly walk round the room, a sinister smirk remained on its face as he refuses to let the figment out of his sight as it closes the gap on them.

"Why did you bring me here." Jake said lowly, demanding an answer from his darker form as to why he was trapped here in this long past, and once forgotten memory of his.

"Oh, I didn't bring you here Jake... you did it yourself." The figment said as he stops by Jakes side, staring blankly into his eyes with an evil grin, before chuckling. "After all... I'm only the figment of mind."

"Figment... more like curse." Jake snorted as the figure walks round him. "You've followed me in both my head and in the physical world... never leaving me in peace."

"Not my fault you're such a weak minded vessel." The figure said smugly, gaining an intense glare from Jake.

"What was that?" He replied with an anger fuelled tone, but this only causes the figure to grin ever more.

"Look around you Jack." He said he raises his arms to the room they were in. "This memory of yours... that you so desire to forget, still remains as strong as it was the day it was created... because no matter how many times you want to try and deny it and forget this ever happened... You cant help but think of how things could have played out if you weren't so weak back then."

"I was eight years old." Jake protested, reminding the figure that he was only a child when this fatal memory of his was created... but the sinister grin on the figures face refused to move as it speaks again.

"Eight years old huh." The figure chuckles. "That didn't stop you from making a name for yourself for years after."

Instantly, Jake feels a sense of disgust and regret sweep over him as he knew exactly what the figure was implying, but keeps his angered expression to hide what he was feeling as he glares at the figure again.

"That _Name_ is nothing more than a curse to me... a dirty reminder, of a terrible set of mistakes."

"Mistakes that kept you alive... when many of others died... they weren't mistakes, Jack... they were the steps you took to carve the path you walk." The figure said with a grin, but Jake just shakes his head at this.

"That was not the path I wanted to walk, nor were those my actions... and the only mistake I've ever made... was letting you get a grip of me." Jake snapped as he points an accusing finger at the false figment of himself. "You are the one that turned me into the creature that I hate myself for becoming."

After hearing him say that, the figure gives off another sly smirk, which Jackson picks up on as the figment speaks again.

"I'm the only mistake huh, so... murdering one of your closest wasn't one to you." The figure suddenly said without hesitation. Jake stood there wide eyed at what he had just heard, and instantly... he feels a burning flame ignite inside him as his anger grows... He knew exactly what the figment was trying to accuse him of, memories of a fatal mistake he'd made many years ago began to flood into his mind.

"What the hell did you just say." Jake said as he steps forward to close the gap between him and his false form, gaining the same sadistic smile from him.

"Oh I'm sorry, did I strike a nerve." The figment said mockingly. "Well... I guess I cant really be to shocked by that... after all, given what sort of creature you are... it doesn't surprise me that you'd put a bullet in the head of someone that trusted you as much as she did."

Jake grits his teeth hard at what he just heard this sick and twisted form of himself say, and without a seconds hesitation... Jackson lunges forward and drives his fist right into the jaw of his false self. The figure grunts as the sound of bones cracking and joints popping is faintly heard as Jake's punch launched the figure backwards and sends him flying through the drywall behind him.

"DON'T YOU DARE!" Jake shouted, demanding that the figment shuts up. However he just laughs a little as he crawled out from the dust and steps back out of the whole in the wall that Jake had sent him threw. Jake cringed a little after seeing that he'd broken the jaw of his false form... then the figment grasped his broken jaw and snapped it back into place.

"You may be weak minded." He chuckles as he glares at Jake. "But you sure as hell ain't weak bodied."

The figment had no time to react as Jake grips him by the neck and slams his body against the wall, wrapping his fingers round the neck of his false form... Jake glares into his eyes with murderous intent.

"You have no right to judge me... you are nothing but the form of me that I will never let see the light of day." Jake growled as he squeezes tighter round the figments neck, but it still grinned and chuckled at him, despite the struggle for air due to Jakes vice like grip.

"Really now... ha, don't be so blind Jack."

"Stop calling me that name... I swear I'm only a few seconds from breaking your damn neck." Jake snapped... that's when the figment finally lets off a demonic laugh that catches Jake off guard.

"Yes... that's the Jack I know, let it flow, let the anger surge through your veins... Just like it did all those years ago."

Suddenly the body of the figment began to burn away, slowly turning to ashes in Jacksons hands as he passes one last message to the young boy.

"You will be reminded today of what really lurks behind that lie you've created to keep your true self hidden." Said the figure... and with his last breath, he smirks at Jake as he spoke with a sadistic whisper. "And... your friends will se who you really are today."

At that moment, Jake becomes wide eyed when the sudden realisation of what he'd done finally hits him... but it was far too late now, as the second the false figment of himself dissipated into ash... Jake accidentally inhales some of the ashes, and instantly... an intense burning pain rips through his body.

Jake clutched his head in both hands, crying out from the inferno that was tearing through him... he'd played right into the trap that his darker form had set, he let his anger get the better of him... and now, he was beginning to loose his sense of control, like the false form of himself was taking control of his mind as he desperately tried to fight the pain, to find his inner calm... because he knew what would happen if he failed to do so... he would loose all control, his anger and rage that he kept hidden for so many years would burn up into an inferno that would overrun his willpower... He would awaken back in the Academy arena as the one thing he dreaded letting anyone there see.. he would become...

The Monster he kept caged in his body for so long...

He would unwillingly release...

Jack The Ripper.

Jake stumbles around the room, fighting his mind frantically in order to stay in control... but nothing was working, his mind was too awash with haunting memories of the past, anger that he kept hidden was boiling over, his vision blackens, he begins to feel his flesh burn from the inside out... the fire within was growing beyond control... and soon enough, Jake ceases moving... his breathing deepens as he looks up... and as he opened his eyes... all he saw... was red.

The Ripper... Had finally awakened.

* * *

(Back in the Arena... During Jake's flashback.)

Tatenashi and Charlotte kneel beside Jake, tears stream from the two girls faces as they continued to attempt to revive their fallen friend. Charlotte had refused to give up on reviving Jakes heart, and to this very moment was still trying her best to perform CPR, but a defeated Tatenashi had to put a hand in hers to finally make her stop.

"Charlotte." The blue haired girl manages to say through a stuttered breath, forcing the blonde French girl to face her as she said. "Please... stop, nothing we have tried has worked."

"But, Tatenashi." Charlotte said with tears in her eyes. "We can't just give up on him."

Tatenashi let out a defeated sigh of pain, she wanted to say that things could work, she wanted to help Jake as much as Charlotte wanted to... she wanted that more than anything right now... but the harsh truth of it was... Jake had slipped too far away for either of them to bring back.

"I know... but." Saying this, Tatenashi brings a hand down to Jakes and entwines her fingers with his, shuddering slightly at how limp and irresponsive his hand was in hers as she struggles to say. "I'm sorry... he's gone Charlotte... he's gone."

Those words pierced deep into the hearts of both girls as they looked down at Jake, and as much as they hated to admit it... it was true. They sat there with Jackson in silence, still struggling to hide their pain from losing their friend, and a tear from both girls falls from them and lands softly on Jakes face, mixing with the blood that stained him as the tears trail down his... suddenly, out of absolutely nowhere... Tatenashi felt Jakes hand grip hers ever so slightly, instantly snapping her back to reality as she looks down to see his hand move ever so fractionally.

"He... He... He's alive, Charlotte... he's still alive." She said in sheer surprise, disbelief and joy, a smile soon starting to show on her face.

"What!" Charlotte replies, finding what Tatenashi had just said hard to believe as true, but when she looks down at Jake herself, a wave of relief washes over as she spots Jakes eyes and nose twitch a little.

"He is... Tohka, look." Charlotte calls out, urging Jake's hologram co-pilot to come check and see that Jake would be okay.

"Oh thank goodness, he's still fighting." She said in relief, waving a hand in front of her she brings up a holo-screen to check over Jake's vitals via the data pact that she and her co-pilot shared, quickly scooting over all new data that was flowing in as Jake seemed to slowly but surly come back to them.

"Oxygen levels: nominal, heart rate rising at a stable pace, body temperature: 35 degrees... I think he's gonna pull through." Tohka said with joy in her tone, raising hope for all around Jake.

Little were they aware... of who was really about to awaken in front of them.

Tohka glanced back at her screen... and that's when she noticed something strange with her data.

"Huh." She muttered, causing Tatenashi and Charlotte to look up at her.

"What is it Tohka?" Charlotte asked, noticing a worrying look on the holograms face.

"Somethings wrong." Tohka said as she sees the condition of Jakes body unfold on her screen. "His Heart rate is past normal but is still climbing... and his internal temperature has gone through the roof... 80 Degrees-110-150-180 Degrees."

Suddenly, a warning pops up onto Tohka's screen, flashing red and reading out in bold letters;

Warning: Nova level's reaching critical status.

Then... it suddenly hits, it finally sinks into Tohka that what was happening to Jake... was the one thing she feared, and her expression shows it clear as day.

"Oh no... no... NO NOT THAT." She said in shock, then turns her attention to the two girls next to Jake.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM GIRLS!" She suddenly snaps, taking both girls by surprise.

"What! Why?" Tatenashi asked, clearly confused by this sudden change in Tohka's behaviour.

"No time to explain, you two need to run... Now!"

"Tohka, we cant just leave him like this." Charlotte protests. "He may be alive but he's still hurt, we need to at least move him to the infirmary."

Saying this, Charlotte reached for Jake to try and pick him up.

"WAIT, DON'T TOUCH HIM!" Tohka shouts, but it was too late, and as soon as Charlottes hand came in contact with Jakes skin... A fizzling crackle echo's out as an intense burning pain travels through her hand... she screams in pain and draws her hand back, clutching it as the burning pain lingered in the delicate palm. Tatenashi watched in shock, Jakes body had become hot to the touch, but how was such a thing possible... why was Tohka so adamant to get them away from him.

What was happening to Jackson?

Looking down at him again the blue haired girl soon felt a pang of fear shoot through her as she began to notice the veins under Jakes skin started to fade into a deep shade of black, and a thin vapour began to arise from him... like he was burning up from the inside out.

"Jake." She stutters quietly to the boy... when suddenly... Jakes eye shot wide open for the first time. From that moment, a feeling of sheer fear and discomfort ripped through the two girls when the Demonic black and red eye that was hidden beneath Jakes eyepatch was revealed, burning its way through them, but before they even had a chance to speak, Jackson suddenly lashed out without and sign of warning... Tatenashi and Charlotte were caught off guard and found themselves wincing in pain as Jakes forearms strike the two girls, launching them across the locker room. Charlotte hits the floor hard and slides a few feet before hitting a bench in her way, whereas Tatenashi is sent crashing into the nearby lockers, the sound of her body impacting with the cold metal echo's out as she hits the floor hard.

"Tatenashi!" Charlotte called out as she frantically fights her own pain to get up and rush to her friends aid, cautiously keeping her distance from Jake as he rolls over onto his front. Charlotte puts arm over Tatenshi and helps her onto her feet, the impact of her throw clearly showing signs that she was badly hurt... but as she picks her up, the two girls see Jake crawl onto his hands and knees in front of them, coughing and hacking as if he was choking on something, when suddenly, Jackson vomits violently... spewing a strange, viscous black liquid out of him that splatters across the floor, sending a cringing and fearful feeling through the two girls.

"What the!" Charlotte stutters as she witnesses the horrific scene in front of her. Tatenashi on the other hand recognises that black liquid that Jake had threw up... it was the same acid like liquid that she encountered when she help tend to a wound on Jake a few days ago... but there was no time to think of that, because when they look back at Jake, he lifts his head and sees the two girls himself... and faint smoke like vapour began to radiate from his eyes as he tries to stand up... but he struggles to move as his body burns up and the pain from the smoke emitting from his eyes force him to cover his face in his hands and groan in agony. He stumbles forward and steps in the black liquid that he'd spewed onto the floor, and the sheer heat his body was creating forces the liquid to ignite, the flaming liquid sticking to the souls of his feet, leaving a burning trail as he staggers around the hanger... clearly in great pain.

The sight of Jake like this was scaring both Charlotte and Tatenashi, unable to understand what was happening to Jake nor did they know how to help him, all they could do was finally decide to take Tohka's advice and hide, running to put some distance between them and Jake they take cover behind a row of lockers... but as soon as they were out of sight... a blood chilling scream ring out as they hear Jake cry in agony... with that sound echoing through the entire hanger, the two of them couldn't bring themselves to hide, and peered round the corner of the lockers... but what they saw... only struck fear even further into them.

Jackson cries in pain, clutching his hair in his hand as the inferno within him was reaching the point of be unbearable, smoke and vapour was pouring from his eyes and mouth as he drops to his knees, the strange black liquid gushing from his wounded body... but suddenly, his screams began to become mixed with a strange laughter... a sadistic laugh that bared a demonic tone to it. The two girls are in shock as the expression they saw on Jakes face suggested that he was some how beginning to enjoy the pain that was ripping its way through him... what happens next could only be described as something out of a horror film.

the flames of the black liquid catches whiff of the liquid seeping from Jakes wounds and ignites it, flames traveling up the trails on his body and enter the wounds, suddenly Jakes eyes erupt into a deep shade of crimson red flames, his body engulfed in fire. his flesh crackled from the intense heat, and to Charlotte and Tatenashi's horror... they see that the flesh of his left arm begins to bubble and melt away like wax when held to a flame, molten flesh and trails and dripped off his arm... that's when they spot something unusual... as the flesh on Jakes arm quickly melts away, the tell tail sign and look of metal began to emerge from beneath the skin, and it wasn't until every last remnants of flesh had burned off Jakes arm that what lied beneath was made clear... attached to Jake was a cybernetic amputation of his left arm, and at a distance... it looked to be extremely realistic... apart from its gunmetal colour, the arm was made out of a combination of Carbon Nanotube Muscle fibre, artificial C.N.T ligaments and was constructed over an adamantium skeleton that was surgically attached to Jake. Wrapped around each of the more vital muscles on the arm and contouring with the shape of the entire enhancement were a series of thin armoured plates constructed out of tempered Tungsten Carbide, which were now glowing a deep orange shade due to the intense heat from within Jake.

Charlotte and Tatenashi watch with the same speechless look on each other at the sight of what Jake has just revealed... but the transformation didn't stop there.

As Jakes sadistic and psychotic laughs that were caused from the pain of his transformation continue to ring out through the hanger, black and red reptilian scales began to piece their way through his flesh from beneath, covering his body and stopping at his lower jaw. Most of the scales were jet black, but those that were coloured a blood red were placed to reveal the pattern of a snarling serpents head on his chest, his fingers had grown a set of serrated talon like claws which oozed more of the black liquid from the tips of them like venomous fangs, two serpent fangs were seen gleaming in his mouth as he laughs sadistically... and then a set of razor sharp spikes made out of bone and metal ripped through his shoulders, elbows and form a line up his spinal column... after that, the laughing seemed to die off, the sound of pain induced stopped and Jake just breaths heavily as he hangs his head down.

"Tohka." Tatenashi asked in fear induced confusion as she stares at the creature her friend had turned into. "What happened to Jake?"

"That's not Jake." Tohka stutters in fear herself. "That's the monster he has had trapped in him for many years... the cruellest, most violent, most sadistic and psychotic killing machine to ever walk... That... Is Jack the Ripper."

Hearing Tohka say this, was only adding to the fear that was causing through the girls. Then they saw Jack reach down and pick up an large chunk of rubble that lay in front of him, looking at it in his palm before grinning in a sadistic nature... and without warning, he crushes the rubble into dust in the palm of his hand as if it was nothing but tissue paper to him, shocking the two girls as he gives off a demonic laugh.

"Oh its good to get this body back." He chuckles lowly as he looks over his reptile like body that he'd kept hidden for many years... but then he turned his attention to the hole in the hanger wall.

"Tohka... what's he gonna do?" Charlotte asked... but deep down, a pang of fear shot through her as she thinks she might already have that answer herself.

"What do you think..." Tohka sais bluntly...


	19. Return of the Ripper

Return of the Ripper

Laura stands in the centre of the arena, gazing out at the hole in the far end hanger that she had just recently launched Jake into after her fight with him. And for the first time in days, she felt a sense of calmness about herself after successfully eliminating Jake, like a long fought hunt to finish an incomplete task of hers had finally come to an end, in the form of a pillaring tower of smoke pouring from the hole in the hanger wall. She relaxes her body as she deactivated her IS and has to sit back on the floor of the arena to catch her breath, completely ignoring the heavy rain that poured down onto her exhausted body, her muscles ached from the energy she'd expended... but she felt the accomplishment of her actions bring a sense of strength and relief to her tired body as she manages to let off a smile of her whilst staring up into the grey sky above her, cold droplets of rain splash her cheeks as she does so.

"It's over." She mutters in relief to herself. "At long last... my comrades can finally rest in peace."

"Laura!"

Suddenly Laura's train of thought was disrupted by the sound of four young students running in her direction. She looks over her shoulder to see that it was Ichika, Houki, Rin and Cecelia that were here. They had over heard from a few of the other girls that a fight had broken out in the arena and that a representative contender wa9s involved, but by the time they reached the arena all they saw was Laura, kneeling in the dirt in this atrocious storm... hoping she was okay they had bared the weather to check on her.

"Are you alright?" Ichika asked.

"Yeah, we heard there was a fight in the arena." Houki added in, sounding equally as worried.

"We also heard that a Rep contender was involved, and cuz all of us are here." Rin chipped in.

"We thought you might have been in some sort of bother and came rushing aid you." Cecelia said in a worried tone.

Laura looks at the group for a second, only the ear echoing sound of the rain beating down around them filled her ears, in honest opinion feeling mildly respectful towards her friends for coming to her supposed aid... even though she didn't feel as if she needed it. With that thought in mind, she looked back down at the dirt in front of her before letting off a quiet sigh, smiling as she did so.

"Thank you for your concerns." She replies gratefully as she gets up from the ground and wipes the mud from her knees. "But I'm okay... nothing I couldn't handle."

Ichika and the girls look at each other for a second, and give a sigh of relief themselves, glad to hear that Laura was fine.

"Well... as long as you're okay." Houki said, then a sudden shiver goes through her as the cold weather starts to take effect. "Brrrrr, now lets get outta this rain."

"Yeah... I'm not catching a cold out here." Rin said in agreement as she turns to follow the group to the nearest exit and vacate this rainy weather... that's when Ichika spots something.

"Errr, Laura... what's with that massive hole in the east hanger bay." He said as he pointed to the pillar of smoke pouring out of the hole in the distant hanger bay, and as soon as the girls saw it, they all turn to face her... seeing that she was carrying a rather pleased smile about herself.

"Oh that." She chided as she walks past them. "That's where my opponent is resting in pieces."

The four of them look at each other for a second, shocked at how blunt Laura was on how she basically that was where here defeated opponent was... questioning what state the pilot must be in after that kind of the crash landing.

"Man... I don't know who she was fighting... but I hope they're okay, a crash like that oughta do a real number on someone." Ichika said to himself as he looks back at the hanger... Suddenly, out of nowhere... a small figure leaps out of the smoke from the hanger and high into the air. Ichika was the only one to spot the figure but from that distance it was too small to make out, however after a second glancing... he saw that the figure was heading in his direction... and closing fast. And it was about now that he realised... it was aiming straight for Laura.

"LAURA GET DOWN!" Ichika shouts as he dives forward out of instinct, grabbing Laura but the waist and pushed her to the ground.

"GWUAH! Ichika, what are you doing?!" Laura groans as she hits the dirt, the other girls were about to scorn Ichika for pushing her... but a mere second after the two of them hit the floor, an unknown figure flies in from behind and smashed into the ground... exactly where Laura would have been standing if Ichika hadn't pushed her. The figure slides across the dirt and disappears into the dust clouds formed from the failed attempt on its prey, the sheer force of its impact with the ground nearly knocks the rest of the girls off their feet and damn near shocks the life outta them.

"What the heck was that?!" Stuttered Houki as she turns to the dust cloud, a shocked expression plastered on her face.

"Beats me, but I think it was aiming for Laura." Rin said as she reacts instinctively, activating her IS's partial deployment mode and taking a defensive stand towards the cloud, with Cecelia doing the same.

"Indeed, that was no mere coincident... someone tried taking a swing at her with her guard down." The blonde English girl said as she calls upon one of her drones and trains its sight on he cloud, waiting for the figure within emerge.

For a few moments though after the sudden stirrup of shock and confusion within the group, all went quiet as the dust cloud lingers in the rain, its culprit still hidden inside. Not wanting to take any chances, Houki actives her partial deployment mode as well and resorts to her thermal scanner to try and sniff out whatever was inside that cloud... and it didn't take long to do so as a bright red silhouette appears on the screen... of a human like form standing in the dust.

"It looks like a... person?" She said in slight surprise.

"What! No way." Rin said, sounding even more shocked than Houki was.

"That can't be...you saw how hard it hit the ground after missing Ichika and Laura, a normal person wouldn't be standing after that." Cecelia added, unable to believe that it was supposedly a person that did that... but then, there was a sudden flash as a lightning strike passes overhead, and in the light, a faint shadow could be seen from within, and it clear to the group that it was indeed a human figure that was hiding in there. However, in that fraction of a seconds glance into the dust, Laura noticed something familiar about this shadow... its shape... and instantly... a shocked expression spreads across her face.

"No way, impossible." She said in disbelief, her change of tone gaining the attention of everyone around her.

"What? What's wrong Laura?" Ichika asked... But Laura just stares blankly at the cloud, unable to process what she was being shown clear as day in front of her.

"How is he still alive..." Laura mutters quietly to herself, but unfortunately it seemed Ichika was close enough to hear her, and after a second to process what her heard, he turned to Laura with the shocked of looks on his face.

"HE!?" He stuttered, his voice loud enough for the rest of the girls to hear him... and all quickly falling into a state of surprise and disbelief to what they were hearing.

"Wait... Laura." Houki asked in a questioning tone.

"Are you trying to say that." Rin added.

"The person you were fighting... was Jackson?!" Cecelia said to finish. The girls lower their weapons as they stare at the cloud. Unable to fathom why of all people that would be in an unauthorised fight in the arena... Jackson was one. Just then Ichika took step towards the cloud, wondering if his fiend and roommate was okay.

"JJ?" He asked as he slowly stepped towards the cloud. "Are you okay?"

Suddenly, without any warning... Ichika is forced back as an unbearable wave of heat rushes over the group, forcing everyone to back off frantically... unsure if it was the rain running down them or their own sweat.

"What the heck." Houki groans as she uses her hands to shield her face. "What's with the heat?!"

The group retreat to a safer distance, but then... the dust cloud settles down and they finally get their first glance at what was in there.

And boy were they in for a shock.

Standing in the centre of the cloud was a young man, his head held low to mask his expression, but that wasn't what was shocking the group... glancing over the figure they saw that the flesh of his body was coated in black reptile like scales, both his arms were held out to reveal a trail of dark red and black flames that wrapped their way round his reptilian skin... however his left arm wasn't made of flesh and scales, but in fact a cybernetic amputation of a human arm and bared an intricate painted emblem of a crimson skull with a black serpent wrapped around it and hissing at those who looked at it, his hands sprawled out and baring a set of nasty talon like claws... on his chest, bared a snarling serpents head that was made from a pattern of blood red scales, red flames tracing the outer edges of the head, and his shoulders, knees and elbows showed large curved serrated spikes that looked to be made from bone as the main structure but bared sharp metallic teeth along their edges. The serpent like humanoid was breathing heavily, faint snarls of anger could be heard as a thick black and red Ora radiates from its body... the heat being generated from his body was so intense that the dirt within a short distance of him had become dry and the vapour of falling raindrops rose into the air, even every single drop of rain that touched him instantly vaporises into mist. Taken in by the sight in front of them, a quiet mutter seeped from the young pilots lips.

"What in the name all that's holy."

Ichika and his friends stand there, wide eyed and in total shock of what they were witnessing, out of all of them... out of every mad, strange, scary and weird thing each of them have encountered in their lives... nothing was worse than this. To them, they were seeing the closest representation to a demon the world could truly offer... nothing could describe the feeling that was causing through them... to see this... creature before them, but there was something even more shocking to them than this demonic sight... that lightly toned ginger hair, that muscular male figure... and that tell tail black and purple IS piloting suit, which although was badly shredded and torn, still covered his lower body, all these little features belonged to one person... someone Ichika and his friends had become friends with, someone they saw as a kind, gentle and strong willed person... someone... that they simply couldn't believe had turned into this... creature.

"JJ?!" Ichika said... still trying to come to terms with the reality of the sight in front of him, and secretly praying that this was some sort of illusion. However, that was a wish that he would have denied, as the Jackson lets off a low sadistic laugh... lifting his head up to reveal his face to the group... and sends a blood chilling feeling straight through them with his cruel and twisted smile, his razor sharp serpent fangs and demonic red eyes which pierced their was through the group.

"The name... is Jack." He growls lowly, cracking his knuckles as he turns his attention a certain silver haired girl, who was still stunned by the shocking transformation she was witnessing. "And you... you made a big mistake trying to kill me."

The group turn to Laura for a second, seeing that she was still in shock from seeing Jake's demonic form. Worrying that Jack was going to make a run at her, Ichika steps in front of her, holding an arm at to Jack... hoping he could maybe talk some sense into him and change his mind.

"Jake... listen, I know you might be a little mad right... but lets talk this through." Ichika stutters, stepping back slightly to put some distance between Jackson and Laura... but the demonic figure just laughed at his pitiful attempt to convince him out of fighting.

"Too late for that now pal." He snickers sinisterly as he cracks his neck. "That bitch took her shot at me... and now... Its my turn."

Jack then lashes his right arm out, and without warning... a large metallic blade rips through the flesh of his forearm, scraping the dirt as his weapon is drawn. At that point, the group had reached the conclusion that there was no stopping Jackson, swallowing dryly as the stare at the blade that stuck out of his arm, dripping with a strange black oozy liquid that seeped from the wound it had made when drawn. Without warning Jack dashes towards the group, focusing in on Laura and completely ignoring Ichika as he leaps into the air and rotated his body, looking as if he was about to use his momentum to stab Laura by driving his blade straight threw Ichika... The boy merely reacted by crossing his arms in fear, but right before Jacks blade could touch him, he's caught off guard as a beam of blue plasmatic energy stikes him in his side.

Jack is sent flying off in the distance and hits the dirt hard, driving his blade into the ground as a break to stop him, he looks down and saw that the laser that hit him had scorched his scales, burning its way through them and broken his skin the sound and smell of burnt flesh lingered in his nose as more of his tainted blood oozed from his wound... Jack snarls in anger as he looks up to see that it was Cecelia's drone that had fired at him. She had been the only one that reacted to Jacks sudden dash on instinct. Even so... the rest of the group look to her in shock.

"Cecelia!?" Houki said in shock. "What the hell did you do the for."

"Yeah, we can't afford to anger him any more than he is." Rin replied

"And look at that wound he's sustained from that now." Ichika said as he looks at the injury on Jacks waist.

"Well I'm sorry, but there was no other option." Said Cecelia, still maintaining her focus as she decides to activate her IS. "You saw what he was intending..."

The group then turn back to Jack, and were surprised to se him grinning slyly at them... and they soon found out why.

"Hahahaha... not a bad hit blonde." He chuckles lowly, and clenched his muscles to force more of the black liquid out of his wound... and soon, it began to reform and reshape over his wound, forming a near layer of flesh and scales that hardened over... completely removing the wound he had just sustained as if it no longer existed. Jack looked down at he newly healed waist, grinning as he turns back to revel in the mix of shocked, surprised and amazed gazes of Ichika and the girls as he said.

"But it's gonna take more than that to hurt me."

Ichika and the girls stare in disbelief of what they'd just watched.

"No way... that's not possible." Cecelia said breathlessly.

"His wound just healed over in seconds." Rin chipped in.

"And now he's back up again for a fight." Houki said... realising that it was going to take more than one good hit to subdue Jack, she activates her IS as well, swiftly followed by Rin's as well.

"Wait... guys, you can't seriously want to fight him do you... It's Jake, he's our friend... not the enemy." Said Ichika, still being the one that wanted to play it peacefully... but the girls just didn't see it his way.

"We know Ichika dear... but look at him." Cecelia said as she draws her rifle, taking a defensive stance to keep Jack at a safe distance from the group. "That boy over there... isn't Jake."

"She's right Ichika... whether any of us want to or not, we have to deal with this problem swiftly and as surely as possible." Rin said as she draws her Souten Gagenstu and preapares along side Cecelia. "Even if it means having to fight him."

Ichika stands there, divided by the will to stand and defend his newly made friend from a very unnecessary fight, and the want to help his group of close friends to the best of his ability... more than anything, he didn't want any harm to come to anyone, and turned to Houki in hope she would agree with him, but even by that point she had activated her IS as well and had joined the majority vote to fight.

"Houki?!" He said, wanting to know her opinion of this whole ordeal, but she just gives him a long sigh.

"Listen... Jake is my friend as much as yours." She said, but turns to glance over at the version of her friend that stood before her, his demonic eye filled with the desire to fight.

"But the rest of us are right Ichika... That's not Jake over there... but that doesn't mean we can't get him back." Houki said as she draws her two blades and mentally prepares herself for a tough fight. "If we can subdue and calm him down... he might snap out of this state of his."

Ichika thought for a second on that idea that Houki had just hinted at... and if outnumbering and subduing Jackson to calm him had a chance of snapping him back to his normal self, then he decided that he would join his friends in this daring attempt, however... as he activates his IS as well and stands alongside the rest of the girls... he couldn't help but feel a faint pang of fear trail down his spine, that regardless of the fact that he and his friends had numbers on their side... it was still going to be one hell of a tough fight taking on this demonic, sadistic and twisted creature that was once his close friend and roommate.

Jack stands there with his arms folded as he looks at the four IS units that stood between him and his opponent, and lets off a lowly humorous chuckle.

"You really think you lot can stop me from settling my score with that girl."

"If you want our friend." Rin said as she points her weapon at Jack, her shock cannons charged and ready to fire.

"Then you gonna have to go through all of us." The girls all said in unison, gaining a twisted grin from the demon in front of them.

"Have it your way." He said as he takes an aggressive stance of his own, drawing his arm back to point the tip of his blade at the group. "I don't mind getting my blade soak in the extra blood."

At that moment, Ichika realised that Jake was in fact beyond negotiating with, and with the safety or the friends he stood beside in mind he takes a deep breath as he prepares for this challenging fight... but before anyone made a move, Ichika and Houki are suddenly pushed aside by Laura, who had activated her IS without being noticed and forced her way to the front of the group.

"You think I'm just going to stand here and let my friends put themselves at risk like that." She said in fury as she points her railgun directly at Jack and charges it to full power. "This time I'm blowing you into pieces."

Without hesitating Laura fired her cannon at Jack, forcing him to abort his stance and back flips right before the shell hit, watching as it narrowly passes below his body, landing on his feet the shell hits the wall behind him and detonates in a ball of fire behind him. And when he looked at the group of IS pilots again, he saw that they had taken advantage of his counter by moving to surround him... and flew in towards him at full speed.

Jack grins as his opponents close in, clenching his fists as he delves into his inner strength, feeling the raw demonic power cause through his veins as the ora around him thickens, a low sadistic chuckle seeps from him as he muttered.

"Time for Jack... to Let'er Rip."

* * *

Tatenashi and Charlotte run to the hole in the arena wall, trying to find where Jackson had gone... but were met with a worrying sight... seeing that their friends had joined the fight and had teamed up against him.

"Oh no, the others have gotten involved in this mess." Charlotte said.

"Yeah... and if they aren't aware of what Jake's capable of... who knows what kind of trouble that could cause." Replied Tatenashi, and just then, Tohka appeared along side them... and the second she saw the fight that was unfolding in front of her, her expression turned to one of pure fear and shock.

"Oh no... he's drawn the others into this." She said in a worried tone, fearing for the safety of the pilots that had taken on Jack.

"We need to get in there and help them." Tatenashi said as she attempted to activate her IS, but as she moved, a sharp pain ripped through her side and forced her to collapse to her knees, clutching her side in pain.

"Tatenashi!" Charlotte said in a worried voice as she got down to check on her.

"I'm fine." Tatenashi winced, grasping her side as she struggles to stand up... she wasn't aware at first, but that hit she took from Jake earlier had broken a few of her ribs in the process... and the pain of her injury had only just kicked in.

"You can't take on Jack in that state Tatenashi... He'll rip you apart without hesitation." Tohka said to the blue haired girl, reading her expression to see that she was indeed in great pain.

"What are supposed to do then." Tatenashi said, worried for her friends safety. "We can't just stand here and watch."

Deep down, Tohka wanted to agree with Tatenashi and let her help, bit it was suicide in her condition... Jack would cut her down without mercy... but if nothing was done fast then who's to say that won't happen to the others fighting him right now... She rakes through her mind for an answer, something... anything that could help snap Jake back into reality and end this nightmare... then, something tick in her memory.

"Chifuyu!" She suddenly said in a sense of realisation, gaining the attention of the other two girls.

"Huh, Tohka... what's Miss Orimura going to do about this." Asked Charlotte.

"No time to explain that now, quick girls... there's a detachable holo-projector on (Storm Ghost)." Tohka said as she points at the projector one of the shoulders of Jake's IS. "Grab it and help me find Chifuyu... I'll explain on the way, but we have to hurry... She's the only one that has the best chance of helping Jake regain control of himself."

Tatenashi and Charlotte were awash with many questions about what Tohka was planning... but they kept their minds on focus for now and followed her instructions, grabbing the projector from the IS and dashing out of the hanger and starting their hunt for Miss Orimura... moving as fast as they could for their friends sake... because with every second they spent running... the carnage outside in the storm.

Was getting worse.

* * *

"Ichika... He's breaking left, cut him off and block his escape." Rin shouted as she fires her shock cannons in Jacks direction, explosions erupt all around him as he darts and weaves in all directions to avoid her fire. Then he saw Ichika dive in and try to get in his way and allow Rin a clearer shot at him.

"Rin, Now!" Ichika said as he swings his blade at Jack, forcing him to deflect it with his own... Rin fires again, just Jack had seen the attack coming and takes Ichika by surprise by jumping into the air, the explosive ammo Rin's cannons hitting the spot where Jack standing a mere second ago. Ichika shields his face from the intense heat of the explosion, but then he feels Jacks claws grip the armour plating on his shoulders and is pulled back as Jack leaps over the top of his IS and throws him to the ground. Ichika was shocked by the strength and force of Jacks move, and how a human like form was capable of doing that to an IS, but there was no time to question that as he sees Jack drive his iron fist down towards him, barely moving his head in time to avoid being pumbled as Jacks fist hits the dirt. He tried to hit Ichika again but like the first time, misses ever so slightly... Ichika tries desperately to avoid Jacks iron fist... feeling the shock wave as it strikes the dirt and trying not to imagine what a hit like that could do to his face. Chuckling in enjoyment at his efforts to avoid him, Jack raised both fists at Ichika and goes to ground pound him into the floor... the only thing Ichika could do to protect him was cross his armoured gauntlets just before impact.

The clang of metal and iron-like scale echo as the sheer force of Jacks attack nearly forces Ichika's own gauntlets into his face, push back against Jack with all his might... but despite his IS aiding to his strength, he could still feel his arm quake under the stress of Jack brute force, looking up to see him smirking down sadistically at him.

"Hold on Ichika I got you." Jack hears in the corner of his ear, and turns his head to see that Houki was now taking her run at him, baring both her swords as she charges in to save Ichika. Jack reacts to the incoming threat by grasping Ichika's forearms, his razor sharp claws digging into his armoured gauntlets as he jumps over him again. With Jacks vice like grasp holding him, Ichika is pulled up and flipped into the air, but before he could land on the ground... he groans out in pain as Jack plants his foot right into his back, and swore he could hear joints popping as he is sent flying straight towards Houki. The young Japanese girl had no time to react and both the Akatsubaki and Byakuhsiki slam into each other, collapsing to the ground in twisted mess.

Jack snickers sinisterly at the mockery he'd made of two of his opponents, but then the ground around him erupts as a series of blue plasmatic energy beams land around him. Looking in the direction to the incoming fire he saw that Cecelia had moved into the air to use the cover of the storm to hide her drones as they fire down upon Jack, forcing him to dart and dive out of the way of her attacks as the lasers continually rain from the sky. Jack scans the sky intensively to try and spot the blue IS that was starting to become a nascence for him, but the thick clouds and heavy rain from the storm was proving a bigger pain for him than needed... but then, he hit a stroke of luck when a sudden lightning bolt lights up the sky, and the faint silhouette of (Blue Tears) was briefly seen.

"There you are." Jack muttered, then he spotted one of Cecelia's drones nearby and preparing to fire, Jack times his move and as soo as the drone fired, he jumped into the air and lands on top of the drone.

"Hold still will you." Cecelia said in frustration as she trains her rifle onto Jack and continues to fire at him, her drones racing through the sky as they try to get a bead on Jack again, but every time one got a chance to shoot, Jack leaped from the one he was perched on top of and move to that one. He began to move ever more higher into the air as he started closing in on Cecelia, landing on the right drone in order to close the gap. Cecelia however picked up on this when he had reach her IS's close range missile defence system and she reacted instantly to the threat... but she wasn't prepared for what Jack had up his sleeve for that.

As both missiles closed in and was about to hit its mark, Jack lashed out at the projectiles with his bladed arm... his blades razor sharp edge slices clean through one of the missiles and the tip of his blade hitting the nose of the second, forcing the two of them to pass harmlessly by him and detonate out of effective range, but second wave of missiles that Cecelia purposely delayed to try and catch Jack off guard had been released.

"Nice try." Jack said, and in a cunning move he drive his cybernetic hand through the armoured plating of the drone he was standing on and digs his fingers into the automated firing system, forcing the drone to fire back at the two missiles... blowing both of them into pieces. Cecelia is forced to shield her face from the fireball in front of her... but as soon as she looked back, she is shocked as she sees that Jack had used it as a distraction to jump from the drone and close right in on her.

"Here... catch this one little girl." He chuckles lowly as he draws his blade back, aiming right for her chest armour. Cecelia crossed her rifle as a form of protection as she tries to back off as fast as she could, but just Jack was about to strike his mark, a black cable wrapped tightly around his leg and rips his body out of the sky.

"What the?!" He grunts as he starts free falling with the cable still wrapped round him.

"Get back down here." He hears Laura shout as she winds her grappling cable back in to pull Jack down. He frantically twisted his body and tried to slice the cable off him, but Laura was prepared for that and right before Jack moved, she whips the cable, flipping Jack in the air as he is released from her grasp. Laura then brings her cannon to bare on Jack, leading her shot she fired right before Jack hit the floor from his fall, the high explosive round detonating right in front of him and blasts him in a tumbling mess of limbs backward. His body is rattled as his armoured scales absorb the explosive force of the shell and he drives his hands into the dirt to stop him... smoke radiating off the armoured scales on his chest after withstanding that hit.

"Laura, flank right, I got the left." Rin calls out to Laura, who nods at her in agreement as they engage their thrusters and initiate a pincer manoeuvre on Jack. Both girls draw their separate weapons and charge Jack at full speed... Rin spins her body round as she swings her Souten Gagenstu at Jack, which he blocks using his own blade, but then Laura moves in to strike him with one of her energy sabres and leaving him barely any time to react, Jack clenched his fist and uses his armoured cyber arm to backhand Laura's sabre, sparks flying as the energy blade bounces off the durable armoured plating. Jack trades deadly blows with the two girls, dodging and blocking their attacks while throwing fast jabs and strong kicks between Laura and Rin while the two girls try to gain an advantage over him.

"Just give it up already Jake." Rin said, reacting quickly after Jack blocked one of her strikes, she twisted her Souten Gagenstu and hits his leg with the other end of her weapon, sweeping his foot about from under him and throwing him off balance. Laura takes full advantage of this and drives her fist into Jack with a mean right cross, swearing she felt his cheek bone crack from the force of her hit. Rin follows up after Laura's strike by bringing the broad end of her Souten Gagenstu up and smacking Jack in his lower jaw and knocking him back, he then feels the steel foot of Laura's IS digging into his core and knocking him to the ground.

"Now stay down." Laura grunts as she tried to drive an energy sabre through Jacks body, but he reacted by rolling backwards and springing his body back up... combining his counter evade with an unexpected strike as he kicks Laura mid-flip to stun her.

"Hahahahaha... why would I want to do that." Jack laughs in his demon like tone, his sadistic and twisted smile refusing to go away. "I'M HAVING SO MUCH FUN!"

Jack's ora thickens as he goes on the offensive and charges at Rin. She reacted by swinging her blade at the, but Jack saw the attack from a mile away and flips over the top of her weapon, using his momentum Jack spirals his leg round and lands a strong hit to Rin's head, dazing her as she stumbles back. The brief second Jacks foot came in contact with her delicate skin caused her to wince in pain as she felt the intense heat from his reptilian scales scorch into her. Jack lands in front of Rin and he used her disorientated state to duck and weave between her IS's legs to avoid Laura as she attempted to hit him again. Jack round house kicks the back of Rin's leg and forced her down onto one knee... and then suddenly, she screamed in agony as a horrific burning pain tears through the back of her right shoulder.

"RIN!" Most of the group shout in fear as they witnessed what Rin was unable to see, Jack had spun his body in order to build enough force to drive the jagged bone spike that sprouted from his elbow straight into her back... piercing the armoured plating that protected her right shoulder and dug into her flesh. Fortunately her armour provided the gap that prevented Jack from driving his spike all the way into her, but nonetheless Rin grits her teeth and winced in pain as the intense burning sensation of Jack's spike moving within her wound, feeling warm blood gush from the opening and trail down her back... Jack rips his elbow out of the back of Rin's shoulder, leaving a nasty open wound in her as he chuckles lowly as he looked at his spike and saw the thick layer of blood that stuck to it.

"You'll pay for that!" He suddenly heard Houki shout as he turns to see that both her and Ichika had gotten back into the fight and were closing in on him at full speed, Houki crosses her two swords and lashes outwards at Jack, but he put his own blade between him and her in order to block the attack, then Ichika moves in... baring his sword in both hands and swings it over his body, bringing it down on Jack with great force... Jack catches the edge of Ichika's blade with the armour of his cyber-arm but the force of Ichika's strike pushes him down onto one knee, but he still shows that crooked grin as he lashed out with his blade, skimming Ichika's abs with the razor sharp edge and forcing him to back off. Ichika glanced down at his stomach and saw that Jack had cut him... but It was luckily just a scratch.

"Ichika... Look out!" He suddenly heard Houki shout out, and looked back up to see that Jack was about to leap towards him in a stabbing like motion. He just barely manages to react to the attack in time and block Jacks blade with his own and pushes Jack back.

"Thanks Houki." Ichika said.

"Stay focused you idiot... he could have had you there." Houki replied bluntly, maintaining her concentration on Jack.

She charges at him again and swings her right sword at Jacks midsection but was quickly blocked by his own blade, she then tried attacking with her left sword... but Jack surprised her by ducking and rotating his body to move under her sword and flank her. Jack lands another clean strike into Houki's leg armour, the jagged spike on his knee digging into her armour... but it proved too thick to reach the leg, but he quickly withdraws and plans a more vicious tactic. Houki watches Jacks movements with caution... Houki made minor adjustments to the positioning of her blades, preparing for whatever trick he might be planning to pull out of his sleeve. Suddenly Jack dashes towards her and she raises both swords to strike him down, but to her surprise he drops to the dirt and slides through the gap in her IS's legs and switch targets to Ichika. Jack jumps back up a performs another spiral kick, striking one of Ichika's wings and pushes him back as Jack lands in between Houki and Ichika tries to strike Jacks shoulder, but he deflects it with his blade and switches to Houki who tried sneaking an attack in behind his back, but Jack was just too fast for either of them to land a hit... deflecting ones attacks and switching to the other before they could recover.

"Houki... back away from him." Ichika suddenly said.

"What!" She replies in confusion, unsure of what he was implying.

"Just do it." Ichika said again as he catches Jacks blade with his own. Still unsure of his intention, Houki still complies with him and puts a safe bit of distance between her and Jack... then as soon as he thought she was far enough back, Ichika caught by surprise by faking a swing at him which causes him to lose balance as he lunges too far forward. Ichika takes advantage of this and kicks Jack back with the iron foot of his IS, stunning him as he's forced back.

"Now Houki! Hit him." Ichika yelled as he charges Jack.

Houki now saw what he was intending to do... he'd baited Jack into going for him in order to stun him and give them the opportunity to both hit him at once. Jack sees the incoming attack as Houki and Ichika swing their blades at him from both sides, but he had no time to single one of them out and is forced to raise both arms to block their attacks. The clang of metal on metal echo's out as Ichika's blade collides with Jacks, and Houki's swords hitting the armoured plating on his cyber-arm, sparks flying as the two pilots push down on Jack to keep him from attacking.

"Guys, help push him down... this is our chance." Ichika calls out, urging his friends to help him and Houki subdue Jack and end this. Rin, Laura and Cecelia heed their call and rush to their aid. Jack grunts under the pressure and one by one the girls grasp his arms and shoulders and push down with all their strength. He pushed back at hard as he could, but Ichika and the girls had the advantage and soon feels his muscles begin to burn from holding back. Ichika and the girls struggle against Jacks brute strength, but sure enough... the signs of Jack beginning to lose strength started to show as he dropped to one knee and the black and red ora that coated his body began to grow thin and turn to smoke.

"That's it." Houki said through gritted teeth as she continues to push with her friends. Jack starts to snarl and grit his fangs in frustration... but he was still unable to break free.

"It's over Jake... Please stop, you've lost this one." Ichika said, insisting his friend to end this and give up... but then... the ora on Jack's back flickered as he looked up at Ichika, his piecing demonic eye's glowing as he growls.

"Not yet I haven't.!"

Jack breaths in as he clenched his muscles tightly, feeling a sudden rush of raw demonic power and rage cause through his body... his ora erupts like a raging inferno as he roars out, his sudden burst of strength allowing him to force Ichika and the girls back with so much force that the group are thrown back, all of them landing on their backs and their shields holding back the intense heat that now radiated from Jack. Ichika quickly gets back onto his feet, but as soon as he does he saw Jack launch himself at him, crimson red flames engulfing the iron fist of his cyber-arm as he said through a crooked grin.

"Lost this one have I?"

Ichika had no time to react and feels the full force of Jacks fist collide with his armoured chest plating, groaning in pain as he feels his sternum begin to crack under the pressure. Jack's punch forced Ichika to fall back down on his back and grunt as he looks to see a smouldering indent of Jack's first in the middle of the armour on his chest. Suddenly he's pinned as Jack jumps onto him and wrapped his claws round his neck, grinning sinisterly as he grips Ichika and forces him to look into his demonic eyes. Ichika fights the urge to cry out in pain from the burning heat of Jacks scales that touched him, or the feeling of his razor sharp claws cutting into him as he looks up to see him draw his blade back... laughing as he said.

"Get outta this one boy."

Suddenly, right as Jack was about to strike, he grunts and released Ichika as he felt the sharp edge of a blade rip through his back.

"GET OFF OF HIM!" Houki screams as she slashed into Jacks back, his tainted black blood oozed from the wound ad he turns back to glare at her with murderous intent. Houki tried to slice into him again, but Jack catches her blade in his iron fist and kicks her foot out from under her, forcing her to her knee. Jack retracts his blade back into his arm and locks his cyber-arm with Houki's to hold her as he clenched his fist and drive it deep into Houki's kidney, she winced at the pain and tried to hit Jack with her other sword... but he simply kicks it out of her hand and lands another crippling punch into her stomach, then in cruel manner Jack grips Houki by her hair and drives her face first into his knee, his spike barely missing her as she stumbles back in a daze. Houki's vision goes blurry as she recovers from that hit, feeling warm blood trickle from her nose.

Suddenly Jack leaps onto the back of her IS and clamps his legs round her waist, causing Houki to cry out from the heat that burned through her... but then Jack sprouts his blade again and Houki was forced to bring her up to catch Jack's blade before the tip pieced into her neck. Jack chuckles in amusement as he watched Houki fight back against his attempt to skewer her, and with a sinister grin he reached over and grips his blade with his free hand to pull his blade in the direction of Houki. The young Japanese girl fights back with all her strength, her arms beginning to quake as she feels Jack's blade inch closer to her neck.

Ichika, who at this moment had just recovered from being hit by Jack earlier gets up and goes wide eyed in fear as he sees the events unfolding in front of him.

"HOUKI!" He shouts, the cries of his friend begging for help ring out as Jack's blade scrapes against her neck... her death almost certain.

Almost.

Just as Ichika charges at Jack, the sound of a gunshot echoed out over the storm and before Jack knew it... his cybernetic arm is hit by a beam of energy from Cecelia's rifle.

"Gwauh Fuck!" He grunts as the energy beam tears through his arms armoured plating... shredding the C.N.T muscle-fibre and blowing his arm clean off and allowing Houki to push his blade away from her. Then Ichika charges in and strikes Jack right in his chest, knocking him off Houki's IS and sends him tumbling back across the dirt. Jack staggers back onto his feet, and for the first time... he felt a sense of shock jolt through him as he looks at his left arm... molten metal, scorched muscle fibre and a mix of oil and his tainted blood oozing from the opening was all he saw as he comes to find that his Cybernetic had been shot off.

"Are you kidding me!" He snarls in anger at his injury... but then, without warning he's hit again with another barrage of high powered lasers, ripping into his scales and burning his flesh as he staggers back.

"Now everyone." Cecelia shouts as she keeps up the pressure on Jack. "Hit him with all you got."

Fuelled by their adrenaline and desire to end this fight, Ichika and his friends surround Jacks wounded body, and one by one... they make their final move.

Despite her shoulder injury, Rin swings her Souten Gagenstu with all her might and although Jack blocks it with his blade, her strength was just overpowering as she drives his body into the dirt, swinging the other end of her weapon round she swats Jack across the gravel. He tries to get back up and fight, but he's caught off guard as Laura then takes a jab at him with her energy sabre and slashing his elbow and severing the jagged spike on him and disarming that weapon from him. Jack grunts in pain from this injury, more of his tainted blood gushes from the wound... he turns and tries to stab Laura, but she countered him by activating her A.I.C and freezes his body... Laura drives a steel fist into Jack's jaw and sends him stumbling back in a daze, and then when he looks up again this time he's met by Houki... he manages to block one of her swords, but when he tried to drive one of his spiked knees into her gut, she lands a well timed swing and severs the spike off of him.

With more blood spilling from Jack and another weapon of his disabled he tried to back off... but Houki lunged forward and grasps him by the neck and throws his entire body over hers. Jack hits the gravel head first and is immediately fired upon by Cecelia and her drones again, forcing him to shield his face with his blade, however a few energy beams land near him and tear into his scales and scorch the flesh of his waist and destroy the two spikes that sprouted from his right shoulder. Jack quickly rolls to avoid the incoming fire and gets up again, this time seeing Rin go in for another swing at him. His reaction was by driving his blade upwards to swat Rin's Souten Gagenstu out of his way and quickly leaps up, rotating his body as fast as he could and aimed to drive the remaining spike on his knee straight through the side of her head... but Rin saw it coming just in time and used the midsection of her weapon to block the attack. Before Jack could back off, Rin grabbed his ankle and throws him to the ground, slamming his body into the dirt and pinning him with her knee... Rin grabs the last of Jacks spikes in her hand and clenches her fist as tight as she could... struggling against her hold, Jack grits his teeth as he starts to feel the bone and metal on his knee spike crack under the pressure of Rin's vice like grip... until it suddenly breaks off of him.

Jack shouts in discomfort as he feels the bone shard being pulled out of his knee. Rin steps off of him and Jack staggers back to his feet, his tainted black blood oozing out of every cut and severed limb on his body, he sways from side to side as his strength fades, his demonic red and black ora grew thin and his body weakens from the injuries he sustained... but then he looks up to see Laura standing in front of him... and with his teeth gritted hard, he draws his arm-blade one last time and charged at Laura.

"This isn't over yet." He yells as he leaps high into the air, somersaulting his body to build up as much momentum as possible and drives his blade down with all his might. Laura crossed her energy sabre's and catches Jacks blade, his attack nearly pushing her to her knees, but she holds strong against Jack... and that's when she seals his fate.

"Ichika... NOW!" She shouts.

Jack was caught off guard by her words.. but then, he hears the sound of something charging up and when he looked to his flank... he saw that Ichika was charging in on him, the blade of his Yukihira burning a bright white light from tip to helm... he had activated his Reiraku Byakuya. Within seconds, Jack realised what he's done, he'd been baited into a trap and was left exposed for Ichika to take a shot at him with his most powerful attack. He tried to pull back and dodge him, but it was too little too late, Ichika raises his blade and brings it down with full force, parting the gap between Jacks arms and his blade the burning hot plasma of the Reiraku Byakuya sliced into the steel of Jacks arm blade and severs the final weapon of his arsenal clean off, black blood spurting from the inside of the blade.

Jack cries out in agony as he looks at the stumpy remain of his main weapon on his arm, and then he's knocked back as Laura lands one last jab into his chest sending him sliding across the dirt on his back. He looks up at the grey and cloud infested sky, his body aching with pain... his fire dying as the cold rain poured down onto his body. He struggles with the last ounce of his strength as he crawls up onto his feet again... but as he looks in the direction of his opponents... he's met with the blood chilling sight as Rin's shock cannons, Cecelia's drones and rifle and Laura's IS railgun were all charging up... and pointing straight at him. He looked over to see Ichika staring back at him, a look of sympathy mixed with cold intentions on his face as he just quietly said.

"I'm sorry JJ... but this has to end."

Ichika turns his head away from Jack as the girls, without hesitation... fire at Jack with everything they had all at once. Jack could only shield his face with his one arm as he is engulfed in a massive explosion that shook the arena floor. Ichika looks back at the fireball with the girls, Jack's body lost somewhere in the smoke and flames, and lets off a sigh... finally... this madness had stopped.

"It's over." He muttered in relief, but the feeling was hollow... knowing that he'd fought Jake like this hung low in his thoughts.

"Indeed... but I wish it didn't have to come to resorting to this level of brutality." Cecelia said, resting her rifle on her shoulder as her BIT Weapons reattached to her IS.

"Me neither." Houki added.

"What choice did we have?" Rin said in their defence. "He just didn't wanna give up."

"Well... whether you think this was right or not." Laura said as she crossed her arms at the fireball that Jack remained in. "It was the necessary measure needed to put him down."

Unsure if he agreed with her conclusion, Ichika just stares back at the fire...

Then something happened that was as surprising as terrifying.

In the centre of the fireball... the flames began to change colour... fading into a demonic shade of black and crimson red... and instantly... fear and shock shoots through Ichika and the girls as they all mutter.

"What the hell."

Suddenly the flames part and Jack is revealed again, standing in the fire... his head held down to mask his face and his fist clenched as the blood of his demonic form trickled from his wounds. The flames of this hellish fireball wrapped around his body as he steps forward and exits the fire... Standing in open in front of the others, he takes a deep breath and as he exhales... he lets off a demonic snarl through a sinister grin as he looks to the group.

"No Way!" Houki said in disbelief to what she was seeing.

"He just won't stay down." Rin adds, just as shocked as the others.

Jack chuckles lowly as he looks down at the state of his own body, every cut and lash was deep and oozed with his blood, his bone weakened and some even craked and fractured and his blade and bone spikes severed clean off him as well as his entire Cybernetic enhanced arm. In his own honest way... he was impressed wit the damage that he'd taken in this fight... but now... for him, play time was over.

"Well, well... not bad guys... I'm impressed." He said in a humoured tone, but the others remained motionless and shocked at the fact that he was still standing, and it wasn't like he was on his last legs... it was like the fire had breathed a new lese of life into his veins, and despite his damaged body... Ichika and the girls couldn't help but think that the strength within him was growing. In an act of both shock and desperation, Laura aims her cannon without warning and prepares to fire again.

"Not this time." Jack chuckles and he quickly puts two claws in his mouth and whistles loudly, like he was calling a dog to heed his answer... and without any warning a stream of blue plasmatic energy shots rain from out of the fire ball behind him.

"Shit! Move it." Rin shouted and the group dive in all directions as the shots land all around them and rattle the ground in explosions. The group look back in time to see two large black V shaped wings hover through the flames and form up either side of Jack, smoke pouring from the six barrels of one of them.

"What the hell are those things." Cecelia said as she gets back onto her feet.

The girls were confused as to where these strange flying wings had come from... but then Ichika spotted something on them that struck a nerve in his brain.

(Wait... that shape)

It was like he had seen these things before in a different form of some sort, and after a second glance, it suddenly sank in and a sudden shock of realisation shoots through him as he said.

"Those are (Storm Ghosts) wings."

"What?!" The girls said in unison as they glance back at the floating wings hovering either side Jack, and after hearing Ichika's discovery... a second glance proved that it was indeed the wings of Jake's IS. It seemed that when he'd whistled... (Storm Ghost) Heeded the call of her pilot by breaking into a series of separate parts and reforming herself as two drones that devoted themselves to protecting their pilot.

Jack chuckles lowly as he looked at his drones that hovered beside him, like two loyal bloodthirsty hounds just waiting to be cut loose on their prey. Closing his eyes he takes a deep breath, channelling the raw, destructive and demonic inferno that caused through every inch of his body... delving deeper into his darkness and feeling his strength come rushing back, stronger and more powerful than before. Suddenly, his black and red ora erupts like a violent explosion, the tainted blood that stuck to his body bursts into flames and to the shock and horror of Ichika and the group... One by one, Jacks wounds quickly began to heal over again, every cut and laceration sticking themselves back together and a fresh layer of scales form over the healed wounds, every damaged bone in Jacks body healed in mere seconds and were brought back to full strength... then his black oil like blood began to seep out of he openings where his jagged spike had been either severed or ripped off, but it shifted and moulded itself in the shape of the spikes and hardens over, the hardened blood cracks and sheds its dark layer to reveal that it had taken on the form of Jacks spikes and replaced them.

"Are you seeing this?!" Ichika mutters to the girls, unable to believe the sight that he was watching and wondering if he was hallucinating or something... but the dry swallow that he heard from Houki confirmed that he wasn't imagining things... this was actually happening... Jack was back... He was regaining his strength... and he wasn't done yet.

Just then a series of deep red electrical bolts of energy spark from the severed end of Jacks cybernetic arm... and like a scene from a sci-fi film... the severed remains of his arm fly back to him as if they were being pulled in by a magnetic force and hovers next to Jack. Then one of the drone next to him began to shed small pieces of metal that floated in the gap between Jack and his severed arm. The red lightning that sprouted from his shoulder wrapped around the metal components and began to melt and reform them, fusing the pieces together and closing the gap inch by inch... until there was no gap left at all. Jack smirks as he moves the fingers of his newly reattached arm again, flexing it and feeling every moving part in it.

"He did not just do that..." Houki stutters in disbelief, unable to believe what she just saw... even though it happened right in front of her.

"No... he did." Rin said as she swallows dryly. "And that's not a good sign.

The group are still mortified by the fact that Jack had pretty much completely re-healed his entire body, and judging by the thickness of the ora that wrapped around his arms and smothered his back... he'd grown stronger that earlier. But then he had one last trick up his sleeve that was sure to send the true meaning of fear into the others... Holding both his arms out and shutting his eyes, his two drones started shedding more parts and components that melted and moulded to his body. Ichika and his friends step back in fear as they come to the chilling realisation that the drones were deploying an armoured suit that was made from the parts that constructed the piloting compartment of (Storm Ghost) but they'd taken on a different shape as the moulded to Jack's body, the combination of C.N.T Muscle fibre, Kevlar plating and tungsten carbide components had formed a full bodied suit of armour that was riddled with sharp edges, jagged spikes and bared a grim look about itself... like a Cybernetic dark knight from the fiery realms of Hell had been summoned.

Jack opened his glowing demonic eyes, thick crimson smoke radiated from them as he smiles sadistically at the group.

"Like I said." He chuckled as two armoured plates fold over the lower half of his face to form the shape of a skeletons lower jaw, red and black flames burst out of his forearms as not one... but two scythe like sabres tear out of his arms... glowing red hot and dripping molten metal from their razor sharp edges.

"This fight ain't over yet."

Ichika and the girls were unable to think of what to do next, their minds overwhelmed by the fact that they had failed to stop Jack the first time... and now a more powerful, more difficult... and more sadistic version of him had replaced him. leaving them no choice but to take him head on if they were to get out of this. Suddenly before any of them could react, Jack dashes back into the fire behind him and disappeared, his two drones fire up their thrusters and fly high into the air and blend into the clouds above them.

"Cecelia, you gain some altitude and keep those drones under control." Houki said as she draws her two blades again, asking of the blonde Brit to keep their heads covered as they tried to take on Jack.

"Roger that." Cecelia nodded as she deploys her own BIT Weapons and rapidly ascends into the storm above them.

The group pan their surrounding frantically, checking their Hyper-Sensors for even the slightest hint of movement near them... but nothing... Jack had vanished.

"Where... the hell... did he go?" Rin said in both confusion, and fear... unsure of where their demonic opponent could pop out from.

"I don't know." Laura answers as she deploys her energy sabres, preparing for an inevitable sneak attack. "But it wasn't to run and hide."

"Where ever he went... he's gonna come back fast." Ichika replies, sticking with his friends to avoid being singled out... hoping that staying as a group would hinder Jack from fighting head on.

But boy was he wrong.

Before anyone could blink, every Hyper-Sensor they had suddenly went crazy... but before anyone could even check where the threat was coming from, a demonic battle cry roars out from behind them. Rin quickly turns round the see Jack speeding towards them, his body rotating as he attempts to slash into Houki's back with his two scythe blades.

"HOUKI MOVE!" She shouts, but it seemed like Houki's reaction wasn't going to be quick enough... so in an act of sudden instinct, Rin pushes her out of the way and was left just barely enough time to raise her Souten Gagenstu and block Jacks blades. Sparks fly and a loud metallic clang echo's out as the three blades collide. Rin could feel the dramatic change in Jacks strength as the brute force of his strike nearly knocks her entire IS over as he shot past her. Rin glanced at the broadside of her weapon where Jack hit it and swallows dryly in shock when she saw two deep cut marks in her weapon... fearing the thought of what could have happened if it was her those red hot scythe's had hit.

There was no time to think about that for long though, as soon as Jack lands on the ground his twists and darts back at the group. Targeting Houki he goes for a flying kick, which she blocks by crossing her swords, Jack backflips off her blades, his iron foot barely missing Houki's chin as he did so. Landing back in the centre of the group Jack instinctively crossed a blade over the back of his head deflecting the energy sabre that Laura tried hitting him with, dropping to the ground as he sweep kicks a foot from under her and throwing her off balance. Jack swings a scythe blade round, but his arm is jammed as Houki catches his blade from behind him with one of hers to protect Laura, then Jack backflips over her IS, hooking his blades into her wings he pulls the Akatsubaki over and Houki slams flat on her back.

Jack withdrew his blades and clenched his fists, sending a chill down Houki's spine when she sees the steel knuckles of Jacks armoured gloves glow white hot before he drives his fist down to her. Houki darts her head out of the way, the ground shaking violently as Jack's burning fist strikes the dirt, leaving a small crater in the process... the next few seconds for Houki felt like an eternity as she frantically struggles to evade Jack's punches, feeling the intense heat from his knuckles even though his fists were more than an inch from her with each miss.

Jack then glanced behind him and saw Rin make a dash for him, raising her weapon above her head for a heavy swing... Jack smirks as he reacts by grabbing Houki by the armoured plating on her chest, and without even braking a sweat he lifts her entire IS off the ground in one hand.

"WHOAAAAAAAH!" Houki screams as Jack swings her IS round, smashing the Akatsubaki right into the side of Shenlong just before Rin could hit Jack with her blade. The two girls tumble and slide across the dirt before stopping in a twisted mass... then the look up to see a series of blue energy beams and plasma shots fly through the sky, catching a faint glimpse as Cecelia and Jacks Hunter Killer drones duke it out high in the air above everyone.

"Hold still." She said in frustration as she fires another shot at one of the flying wings, but it barrel rolls at the last second to avoid the beam and turns in to bare all six of its cannons on her as it fires back, forcing her to dodge and evade as glowing hot shots of plasma fly by her. The drone rolls and narrowly misses her as it shoots past, but as soon as she turns to bring her gun to bare on the drone, the second one races out of the clouds and hits her with the bladed tip of its wing and throws her aim off right as she fires and allows the first drone to escape into the cover of the storm... She had gotten stuck in the middle of a dangerous figure of eight with the Hunters... meaning as soon as she tried to take a shot at one of them, left herself open for the other to attack.

"I'll never get anywhere like this." She said as she calls her own drones back to cover her as she takes a second to assess her situation. Checking her Hyper-Sensor she detects the cannon armed drone racing through some nearby clouds, while the other was doubling back to cover it.

"That one seems to be that more dangerous of the two." She said, then an idea popped into her head and she trains her rifle to where she expected the drone to be and fires into the cloud... the lead drone detects the incoming beam and rolls to avoid before turning in again to attack... but as soon as it flies out of the clouds and straight for Cecelia, she released her own drones and concentrates fire from all of them at the lead Hunter. The Lead Hunter Killer was caught by surprise as Blue Tears four BIT Drones fire and force it to abort the attack run and pull a hard evasive turn, one of her drones hitting it and a trail of black smoke pours out of the back of the Hunter Killer from an engine that was hit. Cecelia fired her rifle at the second Hunter drone and forces it to evade, ordering her own drones to chase down the wounded lead Hunter, the four smaller drone speed after the Hunter like a pack of wolves chasing an injured deer.

The Lead Hunter dives back into the clouds, but it struggles to shake off Cecelia's BIT's, rolling and pitching in all directions as blue energy beam narrowly miss it... then the Drone did something surprisingly intelligent, it pulled into a vertical climb and began to barrel roll as it gains altitude fast. Cecelia's four drones follow the Hunter into the climb, continuing to fire at it... but its constant barrel roll meant it was proving a hard target to hit... then the tables began to turn... The four pursing drones began to shake and slow down as they soon found themselves struggling to keep their speed up in the climb... their thrusters proving too under powered for keeping up with Jack's Hunter Killer, and had been lured into a stall climb. The Lead Hunter detects its pursuers falling back and activates its airbrakes right as all four of Blue Tears BIT drones stalled and fell out of the air... spinning the Hunter Killer round and putting it on the tail of all four drones. The BIT drone tried to split up and evade... but the Hunter Killer already had begun firing back with all six of its cannons, hitting one square in the centre and blowing it to pieces and knocking the engine of another out, a thick plume of smoke pouring from the back of the drone as it loses control and spirals to the ground.

"What! How!?" Cecelia said in shock as she just gets the warning on her interface that two of her drones had been knocked out and the Lead Hunter they were chasing was still in the fight... then she saw the second Hunter fly out of the storm clouds and turns to bare its weapon pods on her.

"I need to take this one out fast before the other gets back." She said and quickly aims at the drone that was flying straight for her, turning the power level to her rifle to maximum and focuses right for the nose of the Hunter Killer, taking a deep breath and training her sight on her target... Cecelia squeezed the trigger and fires, the beam from her rifle flies straight and true towards the drone.

But what happened next was something she was never prepared for.

Right before the energy beam hits its mark, a red light flashes on the top of the Hunter Killer and suddenly, the drone split in two and each separate wing rolls to let the energy beam fly right between the wings before they met and reconnected again.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Cecelia said in disbelief at what she just saw... but then she realised that in her moment of shock, she'd left herself open and the Hunter Killer fires two E.M.G's at her and rolls out of the way... Cecelia had left it too late to react and is caught in the two electro-magnetic pulses, her body jolts as her IS is stunned, then when she was still immobilised, shots of plasma rain down on her back s the Lead Hunter Killer joins the fight and fires down on her, shaving a large chunk of her shield off as it flew by. The two drones loop round and above her and hit the thrusters as they dive down towards Cecelia, causing fear and shock to shoot through her as she is still stunned and can only shield herself as the two Hunter Killer drones spearhead themselves into her IS... pushing her back down to the arena floor at a blistering speed... the drones activate their airbrakes to rapidly slow down and put some distance between them and Cecelia as she continues to fall, and without mercy the Hunters both fire every plasma cannon, rocket pod and missile launcher at her. Ceceliases the incoming fire but is still stunned as she falls... and just as she manages to regain power over her IS... it was too late...

She slammed into the ground full force, despite her shield losing another larger chunk of energy the force of the fall was enough to break her left leg and cripple her thruster system... her cry of pain rang out and was heard by her friends, but all it did was signal them to look as the drones fire rained down on her, engulfing her ISin a mass of violent explosions and fire.

"CECELIA!" Yelled everyone in shock... and when the fire ball dispersed, they were met with a blood chilling sight. They look in horror as Cecelialies on the ground unconscious... Her shield had failed to protect her from everything launched at her and her IS was completely wreaked, just a mass of twisted and burnt metal and wires as she lies their... cold rain running down her body and mixes with the blood that seeped from the deep wounds and lacerations that riddled her body...

"Cecelia!" Rin said, fearing for friends current state and runs to her aid... but Jack spotted her and whistles again, calling his Hunter Killer drones as they swoop in and fire at her, plasma shots and rockets shave a large portion of her shield energy off as she's knocked back.

"Damn drones." Laura sais in frustration, trying to hit one of the Hunter Killers with her railgun, but was too close to acquire a good shot and missed as it flew over her. "We need to take them out asap."

"I got it." Ichika said as he flies level with the incoming drones and tries to damage the Lead Hunters wing, but as soon as he swings his blade the lead Hunter rolls and uses the bladed tip of its wings to swat Ichika's sword out of the way and knock him off course... then the second Hunter spearheads right into his IS, winding him as the nose of the drone digs into his gut.

"WHOOOOOOOOAAAAAA!" He shouts out as the Hunter Killer drone rockets into the air and takes him with it.

"ICHIKAAAAAA! Houki screams in shock as she quickly takes flight and chases after the drones.

That left Rin and Laura to deal with Jack, who by this point was just pacing at a safe distance from the two girls, both of them sticking side by side and refusing to let Jack out of their sight as he circles them like a shark trapping its prey.

"We have to try and catch him off guard." Rin said.

"Thanks for stating the obvious." Laura huffed in reply... then a tactic pops in her head.

"Rin... fire your shock cannons at him."

"What... But if I miss we could lose him." Rin said, confused at what Laura was getting at with this tactic.

"Just do it... trust me." Laura insisted. Although she was till unaware of the plan her teammate was hatching, Rin complied and fires a burst from her shock cannons at Jack, he effortlessly dashed back to avoid being hit and disappears behind the fireball that was caused when Rin's shots hit the ground in front of him.

"Damn... see, I warned you I might miss... now we lost him." Rin complained, but then Laura dashes in front of her and draws her right hand back... looking as if she was anticipating something to happen... then out of the midst of the fire in front of them, Jack leaps out with both his blades drawn back as he charges the two girls. However it didn't quite go as he planned, and just as he tries to drive his blades into Laura... she lashed her hand out and instantly freezes Jacks body by activating her A.I.C.

"NOW RIN!" Laura shouts, and it was then that it made sense to Rin... she'd baited Jack into a trap and gave her an opening to strike. Without wasting a second, Rin circles round Laura and raised her Souten Gagenstu above her head and drives it down onto Jack... but to both her surprise and shock, Jacks armour deflected her blade and was barely scratched by her attempt to hurt him.

"Hahaha... what sorta weak hit was that." He laughs in amusement... and then whistled loudly again. Rin and Laura go wide eyed in fear as they start scanning the sky, looking for the Hunter Killers that Jack would have most definitely called upon to aid him... but in the thick of the thunder storm there was no sign of them... then.

"GUYS LOOK OUT!" They heard from above, and look up to see that it was Ichika, who was still stuck to the front of the second Hunter shouting to warn them that they'd heard Jacks call and were making a run. The Lead drone fires, raining superheated shots of plasma down and forcing Rin and Laura to dive for cover... forcefully making Laura deactivate her A.I.C and free Jack. The Hunter Killer drones swoop back into the storm and disappear along with Ichika and Houki, leaving Laura and Rin to scramble to their feet... but Rin quickly found herself as Jacks target of opportunity as he tries to drive his spiked knee into her chest, but she was able to double back and avoid the strike and Jack lands short in front of her, then a cable wraps round his arm and he's yanked back by Laura.

"Got you." She said as she pulls him in and draws her energy sabre, intending to impale him... but Jack snickers as he replies.

"No... Got _You_."

He used the momentum of her pull and drives his legs out, launching himself into Laura's stomach like a Missile... Laura coughs up blood from the gut wrenching kick she received from Jack and her Entire IS is sent flying back, but then Jack grips the cable that was still attached to him and yanks her back full force... Laura tumbles through the air and passes under Jack and is sent hurtling into Rin's IS, knocking the young Chinese girl back and to the ground.

Jack grips the cable with both hands and pulls hard on it one more time to catapult Laura towards him and he jumps into the air... somersaulting mid-jump, he plants his feet hard into Laura's shoulders and smashed her IS into the gravel as he uses her to jump higher into the air... straight towards Rin.

She hadn't seen Jacks intention until it was too late, and Rin sees the molten metal drip from Jacks two scythe blades as he draws them back for the killing blow... with no time to evade, Rin is forced to use her Souten Gagenstu as a shield of some sort and braced herself, hoping her weapon hold up against Jack's strike.

But she was wrong.

As Jack drives his scythes into Rin's Souten Gagenstu... the sheer force and momentum of his jump forced her back and stumble to the ground... and a second later... Rin Screams... screams louder than she has ever done before as an unbearable burning pain rips through her without mercy.

Jack's glowing hot, razor sharp scythe blade had melted their way right through Rin's weapon and now both blades impaled both her arms. Tears of agony and suffering stream down her face as she feels her flesh burn, her blood boil and her senses become overwhelmed by the most terrifying pain she had ever felt in her life... after the longest five second of her life, Jack finally pulls his blades out of Rin's arms, looking down at her as her IS is forced to deactivate. The pain that was tearing through her was beyond describing, her eye's filled with tears, body ached and hurt with defeat as blood spilled from the two massive gashes that ran across her upper arms... and all she could do was look up to see Jack gaze down with a sadistic smile spread across her face... as if he was enjoying the look of her suffering.

"YOU MONSTER!"

The screams of anger from a nearby girl rang out in his ears, turning just in time to see Laura swing her foot as hard as she could at Jack. He crossed his blades to shield the blow but was sent flying back, flipping his body and skidding on the balls of his feet to stop... Looking up he sees Laura charge him as fast as she could, anger and rage filling her eyes as she draws her sabres... determined to put Jack down for hurting her friends.

Laura cries in anger as she swings her sabre's at Jack, throwing every ounce of strength left in her into every attack. Jack smirks as he just aimlessly lifts his blades in a sluggish but precise manner, deflecting every swing she throws at him... feeling her body growing weaker with every passing second. Laura grew more angry and desperate as she struggles to find an opening to hit Jack, and in a last attempt to put him down... Laura suddenly kicked a foot out from under him and drives her sabre's down with full force as he dropped to one knee... intending to cut him half. However... Jack crossed his scythe's to catch the two sabre's, sparks flying as they hover inches from his head, smirking at Laura sinisterly.

"Game over little girl." He chuckles lowly.

Laura was then pushed back as Jack forced his blades outwards, forcing her to stumble back with her arms flailed out... and Jack made his last move. Crossing his scythe's in front of him he lunges forward to close the gap and with one brutally swift motion... he lashed his two blades in a X form across Laura's front.

Blood sprays into the air and Laura gasped... she'd become speechless as the pain that ripped through her had become too great for even screams to describe, her entire front burned in agony as she looks down to see a blood spurting X that ran from the corners of her waistline right up her body to the edge of her shoulders. She stumbles back and her IS is forced to deactivate... but as she lands on the ground she didn't have the strength to stand and collapsed onto her back, the crushing weight of defeat pressing down on her in the form of the heavy rain of the storm, cold water mixing with her blood as she bleed outs onto the gravel.

Then she cried out as Jack's steel foot is planted right in the middle of her wound, looking up she sees her killer glaring down at her with a sadistic smile... reveling in her suffering and pain, wanting to squeeze every bit of it out of her.

"Rule number one of Nature, Laura." Jack chuckles lowly as he draws one of his blades back, her blood dripping from the tip and her life flashing before her eyes as he prepares to finish her off.

"Never wound... what you can't kill."

Laura closes her eye's and turns away... not wanting to give Jack the satisfaction of seeing her life drain from her eye's if she is to die hear today... her mind awash with the thoughts of sorrow, sorry she failed her comrades, sorry she let herself die a dishonouring death... but most of all... sorry she brought her friends into this mess.

Jack moves to finish her... but then, at the last second... something hit him in his shoulder and impales through his armour, causing him to cry out from the shock more than the pain and step off of Laura. She looks back up to see that Jack had been skewered in his shoulder by a long samurai blade. Jack turns in frustration to see who it was that had done that, but the instant he did he was met by an iron fist colliding with his armoured lower jaw... but despite the armour, he felt the full force of this punch and even hears metal crunching as he's sent hurtling over Laura and tumbles across the gravel... stunned by the sheer force of the hit, Jack staggers back to his feet and feels that his jaw plating had been dented by that punch. He then looks at the katana blade that stuck out of his shoulder and sighs in frustration as his fun was ruined... however as he looks back in front of him again, his eye's widen in surprise before his crooked smirk reappears when he sees the one responsible for actually hitting him pretty hard.

"Well... isn't this a pleasant surprise." He chuckles lowly.

Laura looks up in the direction of Jacks attacker, and her heart drops in disbelief... standing before her in the rain was a tall figure dressed in a black suit of armour, a woman that was armed with a cold stare and five larger katana blades that laid sheaved by her waist... a woman... she was so grateful to for saving her.

"Me... Mentor." She stuttered, overwhelmed with joy that she'd saved her from certain death. Chifuyu looks down to Laura, giving her a light smile as she said.

"You held your own for long enough kid... leave the rest of this to me."

Chifuyu leaves Laura to rest as she steps towards Jack, her expression showed her cold and focused mind set as she draws two more of her Katana blades.

"Jake... I'm only asking you this once, please stop this fight... and we don't have to have anyone else get hurt." She said as she takes a defensive stance, prepared to fight if needed... Jack just chuckles as he grips the sword that impaled his shoulder and breaks it in half with his brutal strength, pulling the other half out of the back of him.

"And end the fun... ha, you gotta be joking."

He whistles again, and that's when Chifuyu sees Jack's Hunter Killer drones dive out of the clouds and towards him... but then she squints her head in confusion as she sees Ichika's IS stuck to the from of the tailing drone which was being followed by Houki... there was no time to fathom what the idiot was doing, because as soon Jacks drones reach him... the apply the brakes and return to there hovering state either side of him... apart for Ichika though, as he'd been thrown off the drone he was stuck on after its rapid stop and crashes on the ground, stopping just short of Chifuyu's body.

"Ichika, are you okay?" Houki askes as she zooms in as well... but then she spots Chifuyu and is stunned to see her here. "Ma'am."

"SIS?!" Ichika sais in shock as well, but Chifuyu just blankly stared at the two of them.

"You should have told me this was happening and I'd have been here to help sooner." She said bluntly.

"We tried... but struggled getting away." Houki said in defence, but then she spots a badly wounded Rin and Laura and instantly her stomach drops. "Oh my god... RIN! LAURA!"

"Stay focused, Shinonono." Chifuyu snapped to draw her attention back to her. "Their wounds are sever, not fatal... leave them to rest... our priority is to take care of the treat at hand."

Chifuyu, quickly analysis the current situation and just as quickly draws a battle plan.

"Orimura, I want you and Shinonono to focus on taking care of those drones of his... Leave Jackson to me."

"Yes Ma'am." Houki said to acknowledge her orders.

"Got it... but be careful Chifuyu, we thought we had beaten him earlier... and it only made him stronger." Ichika added, giving Chifuyu a fair warning of the fight she was about to enter.

"You just stay focused on taking that drone out, if I need back up I'll call...for now." She said as she steps forward and stares Jack down. "I've got this one."

Jack picks up on the intentions that Miss. Orimura was planning and rubs his hands together in enjoyment.

"Hahaha... So you want a one on one fight." He chuckles lowly, retracting his scythe blade back into his forearms.

"Well now... how can I deny the wish of such a admirable rival like you... Chifuyu."

Jack reached behind his back and a plume of red flames smothering his began to swirl and twist in a cyclone like pattern below his hand... suddenly, little black flakes of some unknown substance began to form inside the fire cyclone and come together piece by piece... until the shape of a long thin blade began to appear... Jack felt the handle of the sword form in his hand and draws the blade that he'd called upon to fight Chifuyu with.

"And as an act of curtesy... I'll give you the chance to face a blade that few have seen."

"That's no normal blade." Houki mutters to the others as she scans over the weapon he held. It was a long Katana blade that was made of a strange jet black metal that radiated smoke from tip to hilt, the blade of the weapon was brushed in a glowing crimson edge that dripped with molten steel... on the back end of the sword and running the full length of it, laid a line of barbed and serrated teeth made from bone and steel... tempered in the flames of Hellfire. Chifuyu peers closely to see that scratched onto the side of the demonic samurai blade was what she assumes as its name.

(Kurimuzon Herufaiyā) It's translation... Crimson Hellfire.

"It's no normal weapon indeed." She said as she prepares for the impending fight... but there was a faint slither of remorse in her heart, she knew that hurting Jackson was now the only way of snapping him out of his sadistic and demonic trance... regardless of how much she would regret swinging her blades to him with harmful intent. Jack smirks as he twists his blade in his hand in a showboating display of his swordsmanship still, rearing to go and with a twisted look in his face he points to the three of them as he shouts.

"Go get'em girls."

Without hesitation both of Jacks Hunter Killer drones hit the thrusters and rocket towards Ichika and Houki, obeying his command to take them out as the two IS's and drones cross mid flight and rise into the air. Chifuyu charged at Jack as he did with her, the two of them locked in each others sight as they close in to striking range in mere seconds. Chifuyu twisted her body as she swings both her swords round to strike Jack, but he had the same idea and the three blade bounce off each other as they pass, forcing both fighters to overshoot one another. Jack turned to see that Chifuyu closed the gap again and comes under assault from her two blade, she was playing this fight a lot more aggressively compared to how the others had done... feeling her swords flex and bend from the sheer force of her attacks.

This however just seemed to make Jack smile even more as he blocks her blades with his own, revelling in the satisfaction of fighting such a strong opponent as he felt his arms strain under the force of her strikes.

"That's the spirit, Chifuyu... let your strength define your anger." He taunts as he deflects one of her swords and suddenly twisted his sword in hand and ducks, intending to slash into her waist with the jagged and serrated tooth edge of his blade, but fortunately Chifuyu spotted this thanks to her lightning fast reactions and moves her second katana in the way just in time. Jack's blade hits her and the force of his swing knocks her body across the arena floor, but Chifuyu remained balanced and on her feet as she slid to a halt... quickly glancing at her sword Chifuyu sees a large gash in the steel blade, showing just how close Jack could have come to splitting her in two as he'd nearly done that her blade. She had no time to daydream though, as she quickly drops her damaged blade and draws a fresh one as Jack dashes towards her, jumping into the air he rolls his body and brings his sword down on her, but she catches the burning blade by crossing hers... the force of Jacks strength nearly bringing her to her knees as he pushes down upon her, but she stays strong against his assault and stares the demon down.

"My strength... defines my will to protect those I care for." She said harshly as she drives her foot into Jacks abdominal area and forced him back, his armour rattles rom her kick... but Jack just laughs at her after hearing what she'd said.

"Ha... you sound just like him." He chuckles as he locked blades with Chifuyu, the two of them trapped in a grappling battle as they try to push their swords closer to one another. "Blind and lost in the red mist that clouds your mind."

"That's not you, Jake." Chifuyu said as she pushed back... forcing Jack to stagger, she back flips and strikes him in his lower jaw, her steel coated foot sends shockwaves through him as Jack's knocked to the ground. She swings both her blades down but Jack blocks them with his armoured gauntlets, leaving faint indents in the metal that encased him while Chifuyu keeps him pinned.

"I know your still in there somewhere... and I swear I will bring you back." Chifuyu said as she stares into Jack demonic eye's. "Even if I have to beat this demonised cage you're trapped in to a pulp."

"Don't act as if you know who I really am." Jack said in anger, driving his legs into Chifuyu's midsection and launching her off of him, she back flips her body to land on her feet, but than had to lunge left as Jack bolts forward and drives his sword forth towards her... the glowing hot crimson edge of his blade skims the nape of her neck as he shoots past, causing Chifuyu to brush her hand over the burning spot on her neck and find blood on her fingers. Spurred by this close call she turns to face Jack, who jumps high into the air... she repeats his motion to attempt to catch him... but what happened next was something she didn't see coming.

As she jumps... one of Jacks Hunter Killer drones flies overhead and blocks her... she had been duked by Jack, and hits the underside of the drone as it flies past, causing her to tumbled and roll through the as she crashes back down on the arena floor. She becomes dazed and blurry sighted as she lies on the gravel floor... but then as soon as her vision focuses, she gets a shock when the first thing she spots is Jack diving down above her, driving his blade down in the intention to skewer her to the floor. Chifuyu acted quickly and unexpectedly to this, digging her hands into the dirt she lifted her legs and springs her body up as hard as she could right before Jacks sword could touch her... her feet are driven hard into Jacks armoured chest plate and the sound of metal bending and cracking echo's out as he is launched back into the air and comes crashing back down into the dirt.

Chifuyu somersaults and lands on her feet in front of Jack as he shakes his head in a daze, his chest aching after that hit, and looks down to see that his chest plate had a large dent in the middle of and even showed small fractures in the metalwork in places.

"Hahaha... that one actually left a mark." He laughs as he picks his blade back up. Chifuyu knew he was trying to taunt her again, but remains focused as she prepares to counter any other tricks he had up his sleeve... then out of nowhere she hears a desperate Houki calling out, telling her to watch her back... Chifuyu turns to see that another one of Jacks Drones was attempting to make a run on her.

The Hunter Killer fires down at her, shots of plasma explode all around her body as Chifuyu flips and rolls to avoid the incoming fire. Jack tried to take a swing at her, but Chifuyu had seen him and jumps over him and plants a foot into his shoulder, knocking him to the floor... but she had another trick up her sleeve as well. As the Hunter Killer flies over head she throws her two Katana's into the air and both blades skewer the ailerons of the passing drone and she draws another two of her blades just in time to block another attack from Jack.

"Orimura, Shinonono... draw that drone back here." She orders over her comms, and Ichika and Houki comply as they swoop back around, dodging the incoming fire of missiles, rockets and plasma that followed them as Jack's Hunter Killers gave pursuit. Meanwhile on the ground, Chifuyu locks blades with Jack again, her body starting to strain as this fight continues on.

"Pretty dumb thinking those swords would stop my drones... a waste of blades if you ask me." Jack snickers, taunting Chifuyu on the fact that she basically threw two of her weapons away... but then she glanced past his shoulder and saw Ichika and Houki flying in with his Drones following close by... and a sly grin of her own creeps onto her face.

"I never wasted them." She said smugly, catching Jack off guard with her comment and plants a foot into him to shove him back... and before Jack could charge at her, she hits a button on the butt of her two swords and throws them at Jack. The two swords stick into the ground in front of Jack and explode, forcing him to shield his face from the shards of metal and shrapnel that peppered his armour... but that wasn't the trick up her sleeve.

That was her distraction

At the same time that her blades self-destructed in front of Jack, the other two that were still lodged in his Lead drone detonated... the explosion blows its ailerons to shreds and destroys two of its thrusters. The Lead Hunter Killer uncontrollably rolls over as it falls and crashed into the second drone, causing both of them to spiral out of control and towards the ground. Jack heard the sound of what could only be described as the tell-tail whine of an aircraft plummeting out of the sky.

And turned just in time to see that his two Hunter Killer drones... were on a crash course for the very spot he was standing on.

"Oh for the love of-." He muttered in annoyance before his body is crushed under the weight of the drones as they collide into the ground... the drone bounce out of the crater they made in the dirt, tumbling and rolling across the arena floor... both narrowly missing Chifuyu as they pass either side of her before coming to a halt as two burnt and twisted hunks of steel, smoke and sparks pouring from both drones shut down... too damaged to continue.

"That was an impressive move Miss." Houki said as both her and Ichika land their IS's either side of her.

"Yeah... he really never that one coming." Ichika adds in, equally as impressed with the level of skill and coordination that Chifuyu displayed.

"Well... if he did see it coming, he wouldn't have gotten hit you blockhead." Chifuyu replied, stating the obvious.

"So... is it over now." Houki asked as she stares at the crater that Jack was most definitely still laying in after that crushing hit he took... thinking that surely there was no way he was going to be getting up to fight after that.

"I hope so." Chifuyu said as she lets off a little sigh of relief, feeling her body ach slightly from fighting Jack. "He should be out cold now after that hit... so lets tend to the wounded and injured."

Chifuyu turns her attention the nearest of the girls that had fallen in this fight, being Laura... she was still bleeding from her wounds but she was still somewhat in a stable form and was glad to see that her mentor had managed to achieve what the others had failed... proving ever more to her that she was her unbreakable source of guidance.

But then... Laura spotted something in the distance behind them... and her heart freezes.

"Mentor..." She stuttered as she points to them.

Chifuyu, Ichika and Houki turn back to where the frightened silver haired girl was pointing... and a pang of fear and disbelief runs through them when a steel wrapped hand reaches out of the crater in the ground.

"No way." Chifuyu muttered to herself... stunned by what she was seeing as Jack slowly... but surely crawls out of the crater, his armour was stained in scorch marks, bent and twisted and even showed some small fragments breaking off of it... but it had held up against the crash... and meant that he was still able to fight.

"Oh man... he's just never gonna stay down." Ichika said in disbelief.

Houki swallows dryly in fear... knowing that Jack was bound to be fired up after that little stunt Chifuyu pulled on him, however she noticed that he wasn't attacking them right away... in fact... he looked like he was still rather dazed and disorientated from the force of the impact he took... and without thinking properly, she fires up her thrusters as she attempts to finish him herself.

"He's still stunned... I can end him here." She said as she draws her blade.

"Houki, wait... think about what you're doing." Ichika said, but it was too late... Houki charges at Jack bring both her blades to bare as she zooms it to finish the job.

Little did she know of the fate was about to suffer.

As she closed in, Jack sees her and the fire in his eye intensifies as he grips the handle of (Crimson Hellfire) tightly and takes a stance as he waits for his moment... the smooth edge of his blade becomes enticed in an intense red glow as he waits... Houki charges in and swing her blades with all her might, and then Jack moves as well, swinging his blade with equal force... the sound of metal gliding against metal echo's out, and all that followed was high pitched scream as Houki tumbles to the ground grasping her waist.

It was too fast to have seen with a normal eye, but Jacks blade had cut straight though Houki's the instant that they touched... travelled to slash right through her waist. With her IS being forced to deactivate, Houki continues to scream in pain as she holds her waist tightly, blood spurting from the deep laceration that was carved into her delicate flesh... a sharp burning sensation rips through her and spreads across the wounded area... but then she's forced to look up at Jack as he steps harshly on her shoulder to get her attention. Houki looks into his piecing black and red demonic eyes, a tear forming in her eye as she fears tat her end will swiftly follow.

"HOUKI!" Jack hears from behind and turns to see Ichika racing in, anger in his eyes as he activates his Reiraku Byakuya, attempting to cut Jacks blade in half and end this... But Jack just holds his cold emotionless look on his face as he stands his ground... ready to take the hit Ichika was throwing.

Ichika brings his blade with all his strength, the burning glow of his Reiraku Byakuya shines brightly it collides with Jacks (Crimson Hellfire)... but then he soon realised he'd made a mistake.

The plasmatic blade of his weapon was pressed hard against the steel of Jack's blade... but it wasn't damaging it, sparks were flying but no sign of his blade breaking or weakening were showing. Ichika watched his shield levels start to drain rapidly as his One Off Ability cannibalises his energy... but he relentlessly pushed harder to try and break the blade... but soon enough, the glow of his plasma blade dulls down and dies as the last of his shield energy is drained.

And Jack smirks as he notices that.

"Looks like you're outta juice." He said sinisterly as he jumps up at Ichika.

He tried to back away, but Jack was far too fast and hits Ichika with a brutally strong right cross, cracking his jaw under the force of his iron fist colliding with him... Ichika tumbles to the ground after almost being knocked out by that punch, but as soon as he hits the gravel... he cries a breathless gasp as Jack drives his feet into his chest... and with no shield energy left in his IS, his armoured chest plating was unable to bear the hit and break, forcing Ichika to cough blood as he feels his chest cave in.

Jack raised his foot above his head, intending to stomp his lights out... but Ichika was saved as Chifuyu desperately dives in, wrapping her arms around Jack, pushing him off of Ichika as his own IS deactivates.

"JAKE Please." Chifuyu pleaded as she draws her last blade, using its dull end to block Jack's fists as he had resorted to punching since he'd dropped his blade. "Stop this madness."

Chifuyu had started to lose her composure as she tries begging Jake to snap out of his rage... but he still wasn't showing signs of listening, fearing that the longer he's in this state the further away he becomes.

"Not till I settle my score." Jack grunts. Swinging one of the armoured spikes on his elbow round, Chifuyu blocks it but the demonic fighter pushed her sword out of the way by forcing his body round and landing a solid punch into Chifuyu's jaw, her armour cracking under the pressure... the force of the hit made her pirouette her body, but she used that momentum to swing her sword round and his Jack's Cyber-arm, the blade digs into his armour but does nothing to slow him as he lashed out and swats the katana out of her hands, disposing of her last weapon.

"Killing Laura won't prove anything other than you being a monster." Chifuyu growls as she ducks under a hard cross from Jack and hits him with a mean uppercut, forcing him to stagger and she grips him by the throat. Jack struggles for breath against the vice like grip of Chifuyu as she forced him to look at her.

"I know you don't want to do it Jake... I know that this thing inside of you is persuading your actions... The Jake I know would never hurt any of the people that have been harmed today... especially Laura... I know that." She said sincerely and in a pitying tone, begging her student to stop his madness, to come back... to stop before doing something he would truly regret.

Jack had reached the point where he'd had enough of this nonsense, and reacts by violently head butting Chifuyu to force her off of him, she stumbles back in a daze as blood trickled from her nose... then sees an angered look on Jacks face as he steps towards her.

"You know." He growls, throwing another cross which Chifuyu struggled to block, but he kicks her abdomen to force her back.

"What do you know."

Chifuyu tried to jab him, but Jack effortlessly blocked it and hits her again with a fast and brutal left then a right.

"You don't know me... anything about me... or why I do what I do."

Jack jabs her chest and then kicks a foot out from under Chifuyu... and her eyes widened in shock as he drives his knee right into her gut, pain spreading through her as his spike tears into her flesh and spurts blood from the open wound... Chifuyu was loosing strength fast, but she refused to give in, regardless of how sluggish her attacks had become. She goes for a cross, but then Jack ducked and spins, stabbing her under the arm with the spike that sprouted from his elbow.

"You know... NOTHING!" Jack shouts as he crossed his fist against Chifuyu's jaw... her armour nearly at the point of just falling off by now as she spirals and stumbles with her back to Jack... and before she could turn around, Jack's scythe blade bursts out of his forearm and he mercilessly lashes out at his wounded teacher.

Chifuyu grits her teeth, unable to speak as the intense pain of Jack's red hot blade slice through her armour and rip into her flesh, warm blood spewing from her wounds as she finally loses the last on her strength and collapses to the floor... she'd failed to subdue Jack.

She'd been beaten.

Nearby... a now petrified Laura looks in shock as she sees her Mentor and source of guidance lay face flat in the dirt, her blood spilling as she struggles to get back up.

Chifuyu looks to her side to see Jack walk past her, gazing up to see him stare back down at her with a cold lifeless look in his eyes.

"You brought this pain upon yourself." He said bluntly as he steps in front of her, picking the (Crimson Hellfire) blade back up, blood coating its razor sharp edge as he glanced over to Laura, then back at Chifuyu

"Had you of stayed out of my way and a lot less blood would have spilled today... but now." Jack holds the tip of his blade under Chifuyu's chin... forcing her to look up at him. "You'll watch as I finish what that girl had started."

Jack begins to slowly walk towards Laura, fear striking her heart as she tried to scuttle away, but despite her efforts the demon closed in.

"Jake... please... don't do this." Chifuyu pleaded. "I know this isn't what you want to do."

"If you really know... then you'd say something that would change my mind." Jack snorts bluntly as he continued to close the gap between him and Laura... until he stops her pitiful attempts to escape by pressing a foot firmly in the centre of her wound... revelling in her cries of agony and suffering. As he grips the handle of his sword and raised it high as his arms could lift it, aiming right for Laura's heart... he chuckles as he said.

"But what could you possibly know that could do that."

Laura by this point had tears flowing from her eyes, mortified by the razor sharp blade that was to end her life, breathing heavily in fear as her final seconds counted down... Jack prepares to drive his blade into her and finish her, forcing her to shut her eyes as she says her final goodbye's.

But just as he drive his blade down... a sudden scream rings throughout the entire arena.

"THAT YOU PROMISED ME YOU WOULD PROTECT HER!"

The sound of Jack's sword being driven into the ground was heard, everyone fearing the worst... Laura's eyes were still shut tightly, expecting her life to end soon... but then she quickly noticed something. Jack had driven his sword down, but there was no sharp pain running through her heart, there wasn't the feeling of blood spurting out of her chest... but most of all... she was still alive.

She slowly opens her eyes... and is met with a shocking surprise... Jack's sword sitting in the dirt... in the gap between her chest and arm. Shocked and confused, she looked up to see Jack still standing above her... but something was different... his face had turned from one of a sadistic and twisted nature, to one of fear and realisation.

It was like an unknown force within Jack's head had opened his eyes for that brief second before he killed her... Like he had gained back control of himself momentarily in order to stop him. Laura looked into his face and saw something happen to his right eye... for a fraction of a second, the reptile like shape of his iris shifted... turning back to one of a human before trying to return to its reptile like form. Something was happening to him.

Jack turned his head back to look at Chifuyu.

"What?"

"Yes, Jake... you promised me." She said again as she pulls herself up and kneels in front of him, clenching her stomach to slow the bleeding from her stab wound. Jack moved away from Laura and slowly approaches Chifuyu... stopping in front of her wounded body he kneeled in front of her, releasing his armoured jaw plates to allow her to see the shocked and confused expression that was plastered to his face.

"I'd... protect her." He said quietly, confused on what he was trying to remember, but Chifuyu nods her head to him.

"Five years ago... after that tragic incident that you two were involved in... you promised me that you would protect Laura, refusing to let any more harm come to her." She said softly, reaching a hand out to Jack... but was forced to withdraw as his armour was still burning hot and unable to touch. Jack turns back to Laura and looked at her wounded state... suddenly there was a flash of red light in his vision as a series of long passed memories ran into his head, bits and pieces of what Chifuyu was trying to get him to remember starting to form in his mind... he remembered what she was saying.

"And here I am... her blood on my hands."

"That's not you're hands her blood is on Jake." Chifuyu said, her eye's growing soft and showed sympathy for the young and confused boy as she pointed at his demonic armour. "That isn't you."

Jack looked down at his armour, running his claws against the indents and battle damage that it had sustained... he placed his hands on the chest plating that covered him and unlocks it, removing the armour from him and gazes down at his reptilian scales, the red serpents head that was glaring at Chifuyu and sending a chill down her.

Jackson began to see it as it was now... his ora dying down and the flames that stuck to him flicker and fade into smoke and the black substance that tainted his right eye slowly bleeds away as it returns to human form, his claws, spikes and scales still remained... but he was slowly coming back as he mutter.

"You're right... this is not the me I'm meant to be."

Chifuyu smiles slightly, feeling a sense of relief that her words were finally getting through to him.. and bringing the young boy back from the nightmare that trapped him in his demonic cage... carefully reaching out, she was finally able to place a hand on Jake's shoulder, causing him to look at her.

"I know... because the Jake I know would never want to hurt the ones he cares about... especially Laura." She said softly... her words soothing Jake's fast fading anger... and sure enough, he leans forward and rests his head on her shoulder. Chifuyu rubs the back of his head, feeling the young boy quietly sob in her hold.

"I'm sorry Chifuyu... I'm so, so sorry."

"It's alright Jake... the nightmare's over." Chifuyu sais reassuringly, finally feeling a tear of her own form as she holds onto Jake... but then he pulled his head back and before she could ask what was wrong, Jake suddenly vomits more of that strange black liquid onto the gravel and collapsed to the floor, his vision going black.

"JAKE!" Chifuyu shouted in shock... instantly reaching for her communicator and request every medic in the Academy reports immediately to the arena.


	20. The Aftermath: Healing Wounds

(Beep... Beep... Beep)

Jackson's eye's slowly opened as a faint beeping noise in his ear forced him to regain his consciousness, a white blinding light meeting him instantly as he groans in discomfort. His vision was blurred and fuzzy as he tries to figure out where he was,  
but as soon as he moved his head, a sharp pain tore through him... and the more he regained his consciousness, the stronger the aching pain in his body grew.

"Where... the heck am I." He muttered to himself... the last thing he remembered was lying in a hanger bay at the arena, bleeding out, unable to move... and dying. Now he was in what felt like a bed of some sort... beginning to feel more conscious than  
before and regardless of the minor aches and pains he was feeling now... he was still alive, but soon his vision finally clears up enough for him to make out the room he was in.

The white walls and turquois drapes that surround each bed was a clear indication to it... he was now lying in the Academy infirmary, alone and all by himself.

Or so he thought.

As Jakes vision finally fully clears up, he looked down and was met with an unexpected sigh. In the form of a tired and sleepy blue haired girl laying with her head buried in her arms on the side of his bed. It had appeared that she was waiting for him  
to wake up, and instead of retiring to her room... she'd stayed there until by him.

"Tatenashi?" Jackson barely manages to mutter, still feeling drained of energy and finding the ability to talk challenging, but his voice manages to reach the blue haired girl... and sure enough, Tatenashi stirs and yawns as she finally starts to wake  
up. Her hair was ruffled, her body was cramped and aching a little from sleeping in such an awkward position and in the groggiest state she had felt for a while, she slowly lifted her head to see that Jackson was now awake, and looking directly at  
her with a surprised expression.

"Jake." She said, sounding both relieved... but also carrying a glint of worry in her tone. However before Jake could even think of asking her what the matter was, Tatenashi had already jumped out of her spot next to his bed and wrapped her arms around  
the young American, embracing him as she feels a wave of relief wash over her.

"I'm so glad that you're awake." She sais softly, her head nestled against the side of Jackson's chest as she hugs him, glad to see that her friend was looking like he was going to be okay... Jackson on the other hand, was still quite surprised to see  
such a warm yet worried reaction from the young blue haired girl after just waking up, and admittedly struggling a little just now to not groan in discomfort from the aching pains her tightly wrapped hug was causing him.

"Easy Tat... I'm fine, but still a little sore just now." Jake said, causing Tatenashi to withdraw her hug for now.

"Sorry." She replies bashfully, feeling a little clumsy for not checking if Jackson was actually okay before putting any strength into her hug. "I was just worried... I wasn't expecting you to have woken up so soon."

"So soon?" Jake said in a questioning tone. "How long have I been out of it for?"

"It's the following day after the incident... You were rushed here as fast as possible under Miss. Orimura's instruction after passing out." Tatenashi said, filling Jackson in on the detail about how he ended up in the Academy infirmary. Jackson however  
was still trying to piece together everything in order to fully understand what happened after blacking out... but then, his train of thought was disrupted when Tatenashi tried standing up, and was unable to stop her self from wincing in pain and  
clutch the side of her waist.

"Tatenashi, what's the matter?" Jackson asked in a questioning tone.

"Oh Don't worry about it Jake." Tatenashi replies, trying to draw Jakes attention away from her wound. "It's just a few cracked ribs... Nothing serious."

"Cracked ribs!" Jake said out of both surprise and shock, not sure how Tatenashi had sustained an injury like that, or why she wasn't seeking medical attention instead of seeing how he was doing.

"Tatenashi... I really think you should have those seen to." Said Jackson, clearly starting to become more worried of Tatenashi's state rather than his own. The blue haired kitten notices this and sighs a little... deciding to show Jake that she'd be  
fine instead.

"Jackson... it's fine, see." Tatenashi said as she lifted her shirt to show Jake that she was wearing a rib brace to support her damaged ribs as they healed. "I've got my own injuries under control."

"How did that even happen tho-." Jake just about to finish asking Tatenashi how she even got herself hurt in the first place... but mid-way through speaking he pointed at her ribs... and freezes when he finally saw his arm for the first time since passing  
out. "What the..."

Jackson is stunned as he stares at his arms condition, terrified by the sight his eye were met with. His skin was burnt and dried out in some area's and cracked as his flesh moved... the skin of his fingers were covered in soot and dried blood, but the  
most off putting part... were the patches of black reptilian scales that covered his flesh, the scales were burnt and cracked, some even falling off of his arm with the slightest movement. Jackson was shocked to see the state of his arm, and it wasn't  
any better on the other side as he turns to look at his other arm... he traced his eyes down the length of a cybernetic enhanced arm that was connected to him, the armoured plating that protected the more vital components and C.N.T. Muscle fibre covered  
in deep scratches and dented from battle damage, the exposed sections of C.N.T. Muscle fibre was scorched and blackened by fire damage.

"Jackson..." Tatenashi asked carefully, seeing this reaction from Jake was giving her an off putting feeling, and was even starting to scare her a little as she begins to think that Jake wasn't fully aware of the extent of the situation... and that she  
would have to be the one that would tell him what really happened.

Jackson just remained silent, staring at his cybernetic and scorched serpent like arms... he was at a loss for words... fear sweeping swiftly through his body like a vicious fire, he knew who those scales belonged to... he knew what kind of creature he  
could become if pushed, and worst of all... he knew just what kind of damage that monster could do if let loose. His arms began to shake in fear, he didn't want to believe it, he just couldn't... knowing he'd held his inner demon back from the public  
for so many years... he just didn't want to believe that he let the monster out... but as he looks down at his upper torso... Jacksons heart skipped a beat.

"No..." Was all he was able to mutter to himself, because the only thing he saw when he looked down was a series of red and black patches of reptile like scales attached to his flesh, and despite the missing patches the scales came together just enough  
to reveal the tell tail pattern of a serpents head that plastered Jacksons chest. Jackson finds himself unable to speak, paralysed by the overwhelming fear that suddenly shot threw his entire body... He knew who's form that was that was leaving its  
tell tail marks across him... the one person he had hidden away for so many years... the creature that tormented him in the night and constantly clawed his way threw his flesh to break out...

The monster he refused to release.

"Tatenashi..." Jake stuttered as he turns to face the blue haired girl, shock, worry and disbelief plastered across his face. "What happened?"

Tatenashi takes a deep breath and was finding it hard to hide the fact that she was worried for Jake... deep down she knew that he would have to have been told about the terrifying ordeal that happened on that fateful afternoon in the arena. However...  
it seemed like it was going to be harder than imagined as it seemed that Jake was unaware of what happened, like he had blacked out for the entire time and was only coming to realise that something terrible had happened... and he wanted answers.

"Do you remember anything at all, Jake." Asked Tatenashi.

Jake paused for a second, trying to rake through his mind back to his most recent thoughts and try to picture where he was... but it was all nearly a complete blur, however... there was one thing he was just able to remember in his mind as he turns to  
the blue haired girl sitting next to him.

"I remember... lying on the floor in one of the arena hangers... I was badly hurt, nearly dying... and then... everything turned black and the next thing I know I'm waking up in here." Jake said, but then he noticed Tatenashi's expression shift slightly...  
as if she was a little discomforted to hear that this was all he was able to remember.

"Something bad happened when I blacked out Tat... Wasn't there." Jake asked calmly, and to his own discomfort... Tatenashi gave him a faint nod.

"What happened?" Said Jake, trying to gain any information whatsoever on what happened, but Tatenashi seemed worried to share what she knew with the young man, worried of how he would react to it.

"You wont like it Jake... are you sure you want me to tell you." She said, and Jake quickly nods.

"Yes Tat... I'm sure, I need to know what I did."

Tatenashi sighs a little, knowing that it probably would have ended up this way with Jake's persistence pushing her to tell him a story she knew he wasn't going to enjoy hearing... but he had his right to know and she respect3ed that fact and decided  
that she was better off starting from the beginning, and on that note she clears her throat and begins her view of yesterdays grim ordeal.

* * *

Meanwhile at that time in a separate part of the infirmary.

Ichika groans as he rustles within his bed sheets, a deep aching pain that swept across his chest was forcing him awake as he slowly opens his eyes

"Uhg... where am I?" He said in a groggy state as his vison was too blurry to make out where he was.

"Ichika..." Said as faint toned female voice that was just barely picked up by Ichika's ears, but it was just noticeable enough for him to recognise who's voice that was.

"Houki." He said as he uses what little energy to turn his head in the direction of the voice. And soon enough, Ichika's eyesight adjusts in order for him to see his childhood friend lying in the bed beside him.

"Thank goodness you are awake, I was getting worried." Houki manages to say with a weak breath of air, glad to see that her friend was coming back around after being past out in bed for so long.

"Houki...how did we get here." Asked Ichika.

"Miss. Orimura ordered nearly every medic in the Academy to aid us in getting to the infirmary as fast as possible... all of us." She said, turning her head to look over to the opposite side of the room, and on instinct Ichika does the same... only to  
be met by the sight of Rin and Cecelia, who at this point were still sleeping in their beds.

"Are they going to be okay?" Said Ichika as he takes a second to take in the sight before him. Cecelia's body was riddled with deep cuts, bruises and lacerations and left leg was restrained in a metal brace and held in place in a raised position, showing  
the tell tail swelling marks that are found around fractures and breaks in bones. Whereas Rin was covered in a similar amount of marks and cuts, however on both her arms were two large, deep gashes that had gone clean through her, fresh blood seeping  
from a drip feed pipe next to her in order to compensate for the substantial amount of blood she had lost... leaving her in a faint and weak state.

"I hope so." Houki said as she turned back to Ichika. "All of us are in a pretty bad state right now."

Ichika took a second to process what Houki just said, and that's when he finally looks further down her body and sees her injury, causing him to go wide eyed.

"Houki... how did-." Ichika stutters as he struggles to take in the sight in front of him.

Houki was still wearing her IS piloting suit in order to keep her body covered up... however a section along her side and running up her waist had been cut off, revealing a massive sword wound that cut deep into her. The wound had been cleaned and wasn't  
as fatal as it was before, but it was still extremely painful for Houki to move her body herself and just like Rin, she was hooked up to a drip feed that was being used to maintain her blood level as he wound was still bleeding out and soaking the  
medical rag placed beneath the wound.

"Its okay, Ichika." Houki said, trying to keep her friend calm. "I'll be fine."

"Even so... That's a horrible woun- Gagh." Ichika suddenly winced in pain when he tried to sit up and the pain in his chest erupted throughout his upper torso, forcing him to fall back down into his bed.

"Ichika be careful." Houki said in a worrying tone after seeing her friend suddenly fall into a deep sense of pain. "Your hurt as well, remember."

"I didn't think it would be that bad." Groaned Ichika as he stares up at the ceiling, breathing heavily as the pain in his chest simmers down.

"I'm afraid it's more bad than you think."

Ichika and Houki turn towards the door when they heard someone speak, only to see that it was Miss. Yamada that had walked into the room along with a few nurses carrying some blood packs and medical inspection tools. They had come to check on the students  
to see how much progress they had made in their recovery, and it was at least good sign for them to see that two of the patients had woken up.

"Miss. Yamada... What do you mean by _More bad?_ " Ichika askes. Miss Yamada looks at her drawing board to look over Ichika's current health status while the nurses went along with changing Houki and Rins feed pipes and perform a few basic checks  
on the four of them to ensure they were all okay... Then Yamada looks back at Ichika.

"I'm afraid you have suffered from a chest concave, Orimura... your ribcage has been broken in thirteen separate places and moving like that could risk a bone fragment puncturing your lung. So please, I advise that you stay still for now."

Ichika took a second to process what he just heard, and even Houki goes wide eyed in shock from hearing the full extent of his wounds. She knew hers was bad... but now she was even more worried for Ichika.

"Chest concave..." He said in shock. "How long will that take to heal?"

Miss Yamada sighs a little when she here's that question and struggles to bring herself to answer.

"I'm afraid that even with our best medical assets... it could take months before you can get back into an IS." She said in regret.

Ichika was upset nonetheless that he would be in this state for months at least... but whilst drowning in his disappointment... Ichika noticed something.

"Wait... Where's Laura?" He asked.

Houki even looked around the room herself, but their was no sign what so ever of their young German friend in the room. And that's when Miss. Yamada delivered some unwelcoming news to them.

"I'm afraid that Laura had suffered much more fatal wounds than any of you. So she has been moved to a more isolated area of the infirmary."

Ichika and Houki freeze for a moment after hearing this, fearing for their friend and only assuming the worst.

"What... is she okay? will she be okay? how bad are her wounds." Were the questions raised by the two students, desperate to hear what state their friend was in.

"Now, now... calm down." Miss Yamada started to say in order to calm the two worried students.

"Laura is going to be okay, she's in good hands. She had lost a lot of blood before getting to the infirmary so we had to deal with her first. And Miss. Orimura insisted on moving her to another room... We've been able to repair as much of her wounds  
as we could, but for now she needs as much rest as possible while recovering."

Miss. Yamada glanced over to look at Rin and Cecelia as they still remained still and motionless as they slept away while the nurses continue with their medical checks, taking pulse readings, blood pressure, and check their breathing... then turns back  
to Ichika and Houki as she holds her drawing board tightly against her chest with a warm expression on her face.

"I'm just so glad that all of you are here." She said softly, starting to struggle with holding her composure. After hearing about the incident herself and how Ichika and his friends had gotten caught up in the mix of it, she was among the very worried  
for the safety of her students, and it pained her to see all of them with such nasty wounds and injuries that in harsh truth would keep them from piloting their IS's for a good few months before healing.

"But there is one question that I have been ordered to ask you... do you remember what happened?" Yamada said, and it was at moment of hearing those words... Ichika felt a chilling jolt go through him as he remembers vague flashbacks of the event... the  
storm, the fire... but most of all... the face of the creature that he faced had itself into his mind and refused to remove itself. His reptilian black and red scales, the burning inferno of crimson flames the clung to his body, his razor sharp fangs  
that dripped with that strange black oily substance which felt like acid to the touch... and his glowing red demonic eyes burning their way through him as he stares with a lustrous desire for blood.

And even now... Ichika still couldn't believe that this creature, this blood thirsty killing machine... this monster.

was the boy he was sharing his room with for nearly the past month.

Ichika swallows dryly as he looks over to Yamada and could only bring himself to say.

"What happened to Jackson?"

Miss. Yamada lowered her head a little in discomfort, she couldn't imagine what it must be like for Ichika and the rest of the girls to suffer like that from the hands of someone that they were such a good friend with... deep down she knew that Jake would  
never want to hurt them, but there was no denying that Jackson had been hiding a grim secret under his flesh, and to their misfortune... Ichika and the girls learned about it the hard way and were lucky to all have survived.

"He's in another room down the hall... we thought it would be best, not to have him within in here." Said Yamada.

"Why?... is he okay?" Asked Ichika.

"Ichika... he did this to all of us." Houki then said as she looks around the room to take in the damage of the wounds and injuries that both herself and her friends had sustained at the hands of Jackson's rage fuelled actions. "I'm not sure us being  
the first thing he sees after waking up and remembering he did this would be the best thing for him."

Ichika paused for a second and quickly realised that she was right... but even so it made him wonder... Does Jake really remember what happened in the arena that day?

And if so... how did he feel about the whole thing?

* * *

Meanwhile, around that time in Jake's room.

"And that's it Jake... after you snapped out of it, you passed out and the rest of everyone were taken here to have your wounds treated." Said Tatenashi as she finishes telling Jake her story, informing him of what she saw from her point of the entire  
ordeal that lead to him and his friends winding up in the infirmary. She had told him everything from when she saw Laura inflict that fatal wound that made her worry for his life, right up to the point when he past out in the arena.

And every gruesome detail that the fight created in between.

Jake sits up in his bed, motionless and in shock... he couldn't believe what he had been told... and the feeling of disgust and shame washed over him heavily as he looks down at his hand that was still coated in soot and dried up blood, knowing that it  
wasn't his own.

"What have I done..." He stuttered, clenching his fist shut. For years, he had hidden his dark and demonic side away... a side of him that he was burdened with not by choice but by force... for years he trained himself to vent his anger in order to keep  
his sadistic and psychopathic atler-ego at bay, refusing to show that monster to anyone... because to him, there was only one thing that ( _Jack_ ) was good for.

For killing in the most savage and vicious ways possible... to him ( _Jack_ ) was nothing more than a sick, twisted and unholy Demon that revelled in the suffering and pain of those who faced him.

And he had finally cracked, letting that Psycho cut loose on his friends.

"It wasn't your fault, Jake." Tatenashi said softly, placing a hand on the young American's shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. "You had no control of what happened and I know you wouldn't want to hurt them... so please... don't hate yourself for this."

Jake looks at the blue haired girl, his expression was all but lifeless and dull, like his emotions had abandoned him.

"How can I not hate myself, Tat... I let " _Jack"_ out of his cage because of my weak will... and now I've hurt every friend I have in here." He said as he holds his head down in shame... still ridden with guilt for what he'd done. "The others will  
never forgive me for this."

At that point, Tatenashi got up from her seat and sits down on the side of Jake's bed along side him. Jake didn't do anything and let her, and was surprised when she wrapped an arm around him and pulled him over to her for a gentle hug, letting him rest  
his head against her shoulder as she comforts her damaged friend.

"I forgive you Jake... because I know the " _Jake_ " I've spent the few weeks around would never do something like this." She said as she strokes that slide of his neck, brushing her fingers over his rough and rugged skin.

"What makes you think you know me that well?" Jake asked.

"Because someone that goes out of their way to save a friend of mine from being abducted... wouldn't have done that if they themselves was not a friend of hers either." She said softly. Jackson takes a second to think, and realised that she was referring  
to the incident at that mall a few weeks back... and she was right, he was a friend of Houki's, and he made sure that he didn't stop until he got her back to the safety of the Academy.

"But what has that got to do with what happened now?" Jake asked as he looked up at Tatenashi to see her smile down at him.

"It means that the " _Jake_ " that I know... is a good man, and would never want to hurt those he cares about." Tatenashi said softly, stroking the side of Jackson's neck as she tries to comfort him... and Jackson just looks up to her with dull,  
lifeless eyes.

"But I hurt them Tatenashi... I let a dark, sick and twisted side of me loose, and now I'll never forgive myself for that." Jackson said, his head resting heavily on Tatenashi's shoulder as his guilt weighed down heavily upon him. "And to be honest...  
I'm not even sure why you'd want to come anywhere near me after seeing that side of me first hand."

Tatenashi gazes back at Jake, and to his surprise... her smile was still there as she said.

"I'm here because your my friend, Jake... and I'm worried about you. Listen... When you changed, I could see the pain causing through you... You'd never choose to do that willingly... So believe me when I say, I'm not going to let a false form of you  
scare me away from helping the real you."

"Tatenashi... I... I don't know what to say." Jake said as he looks up to her in surprise. Apart from his squadron members back in FEISAR. Inc. No one had ever been so supportive and comforting to him after seeing the monster that lurked under his flesh.  
It was like Tatenashi's deep ruby red eyes could see straight through him, past the darkness and the pain and all the hollow guilt that surrounded the boy she called her friend, wanting nothing more than to be by his side and help him get back on  
his feet as soon as possible.

"I forgive you for what happened, Jake... because I know you were just as big a victim as everyone else in this whole ordeal." She said as she tightens her hug on Jake, causing him to wrap an arm himself round her, feeling a little more at ease... however,  
there was still one thing that was in the corner of his mind that shrouded his ability to feel better.

"But what about the others? I'm worried that they wont forgive me for what happened... and I wouldn't blame them." Jake said as he looked up at Tatenashi with a worried expression... but Tatenashi's warm smile still showed as she softly spoke to him.

"I know you're afraid about that... but don't worry, Jake... you can still fix things with them, you just have to take the first step for them."

"But what do I do?" Jake asked.

"You face them... you let them know just how sorry you are and how it hurt you to let what happened in the arena happen... just like you let me know. Trust me Jake, if you think keeping your distance from them is better than taking the risk and facing  
them... then you're wrong, and I don't want you to make that mistake and regret it forever."

Jackson took a second to think about what Tatenashi just said to him... and that was when a sudden spark of realisation flickered in his head, because even though he was afraid of what his friends would say or think about him if he was to go to them and  
plead for their forgiveness... deep down he knew that Tatenashi was right, and if he tried to stay away from them after this ordeal... then it would more than likely end up making them think he wasn't as much as a friend to them than he made himself  
out to be... If he wanted to fix this and make things better between him and the others and have a chance to bring things back to the way they were... Then it was up to him to make that first step.

And that's when an idea of what he could do pops into his head.

"You're right, Tat." Jake said as he pulls his covers off and slowly sits up on the side of his bed, still feeling a little weak and tense due to his still healing wounds."

"Jake, are you sure you want to move just now." Tatenashi asked as she keeps an arm wrapped round her wounded friend in order to prevent him from potentially collapsing. "I don't want you to hurt yourself anymore."

Jake however turns to look at Tatenashi... and for the first time, he was smiling back at his blue haired friend.

"I'll be okay Tatenashi... although, do you mind if you could step back for a second." Jake asked.

At first, Tatenashi was a little confused of what Jake was asking, but on instinct complies with his wish and gets up from the bed and takes a step back from him... and what happened next, was something that could only be described by her as miraculous.

Jackson shut his eyes as he takes a deep breath and placed his hand on his heart, reaching deep within himself to find his inner strength. Channelling his energy as he slowly began to feel it grow. Tatenashi wasn't aware of it right now, but she had finally  
managed to reignite the spark in Jake... giving him the strength to and willpower to do something about this whole ordeal. Just then, a strange red glow began to emit from beneath Jackson's palm as he pulls a small black and red ball of flames out  
from where his heart was located. Holding his hand out to let the flames flicker and dance in his palm, Jackson crushes his hand in on the flame, casing it to disperse and send the flames traveling up his arm... as they did, the burnt and damaged  
reptile scales that stuck to his flesh were burnt and incinerated as the flames pass over them. Jackson could feel his strength slowly coming back his flames travel deep into his muscles, burning away the aches and pains within him, fusing his cuts  
and laceration back together and not even leaving a scar.

Tatenashi watches in amazement as the flames that coated Jake travel the length of his body and before she knew it... the flames retreat back to the spot on Jake's chest that he'd conjured them from. Jackson gets up from his and looks down at the burnt  
and damaged scales that patched his body, and with one swift motion he clenched every muscle in his body, causing the scales to rip themselves from his flesh and fall to the floor. Jake smiles as he moves his body around a little, no longer feeling  
nor seeing any remnants of the wounds that he was riddled with a few moments ago and the flames flickering over his heart sunk back into his flesh.

"How did you do that?" Tatenashi asked in amazement, unable to explain the rationality of the miracle that she just witnessed.

"This... this is one of the only good things about what I have crawling under me." Jake said as he smiles back at Tatenashi as he rips off the heart monitors that were still attached to him. "If I can find the will to channel the fiery strength within  
me... I can heal any injury I sustain."

"That's Amazing... but why couldn't you do it earlier?" Tatenashi asked him. And that's when Jake takes a step towards her.

"Because earlier... I was so ridden with guilt and shame about what happened, I couldn't get past the negative side of what's channelling through my veins in order to do it... until you helped me push past it." Said Jake. And with a warm smile on his  
face, Jackson wraps his arms round Tatenashi as he hugs her in gratitude for her efforts and support. "Thank you Tatenashi... thank you so much."

Tatenashi smiles herself as she embraced her friend, being careful though not to agitate her damaged ribs as she holds him close as she said.

"Anything to help, Jake... anything."

Just then the two of them were forced to break away from their hug as the door bursts open as a small team of nurses run into the room. They had noticed Jake's heart rate stop on their monitoring systems and were worried that he's gone into a cardiac  
arrest of some sorts... however, the nurses were just as startled to see that Jackson was standing, and looked to have healed over completely.

"Is something wrong?" Asked Jake.

"Oh... no, nothing." One of the nurses said. "Its just that we noticed you drop off our heart monitor as were worried for the worst."

The nurse points back at Jake's bed causing him to do the same and notice the heart monitor pads that he'd pulled off of him.

"Oh... Sorry about that." Jake said as he bow in apology for making the nurses worry about him like that.

"It's okay... but how are you feeling anyway Mr. Jackson?" The nurse askes, only to be met by a smile from the young man.

"I'm good... in fact, thanks to a friend of mine." He said as he turns to look at Tatenashi. "I feel as good as new."

"Oh really... well, that's good to hear, but are you sure you should be moving around so much just now." The nurse couldn't help but ask. Although Jake said he was fine she felt that it was at least her duty to make sure that he really was going to be  
able to start standing and walking after just healing all those wounds they had examined on him a while ago. However Jake just nods at the woman.

"I'm sure, thank you for your concern... but I'm good. And right now, I've got something important that I need to do as soon as possible." He said as he makes his way past the nurses with Tatenashi swiftly following him as he exits his room in the infirmary.

"So what are you going to do now Jake?" Tatenashi asked as they walk down the hall.

"I know that it may take some time for the others to fully forgive me for what happened if they decide to do that... but there is one thing I can do to make sure they know just how much I want them to get back on their feet as soon as possible... but  
for that, there is something in my room that I need to get." He said as they navigate the halls, though being careful not to run into any groups of students walking around, given that Jake was still in his torn up IS piloting suit... the last thing  
he really needed was a group of girls gawking and swarming him to see his naked upper torso. Then Jake peers down to the spot where Tatenashi's rib brace was hiding under her shirt.

"And I can help fix those as well."

"Oh really... well, I trust you know what you're doing Jake. So lead the way." Said Tatenashi as they leave the infirmary and head in the direction of the dormitory's.

* * *

Meanwhile... in a more secluded area of the Infirmary.

Chifuyu lays in bed and stares blankly out of the window at the grey cloud infested skies, cold rain beating down heavily on the pain of glass. She was forced to lay on her side to reduce to chance of the large laceration that was running across the length  
of her back from sticking to the sheets and making them worse, and as she lies there... thoughts of the safety and condition of her students were flowing through her head.

She had been informed earlier of the condition that Ichika and the others were in while they were still passed out, however she hadn't heard from the nurses about the current state that Jake was in after he blacked out in the arena, and right now was  
worrying about him... the dark and gloomy mood of the sky outside fitting well to her own mood while she lays there, powerless to do anything due to her condition.

(CLACK!)

Out of the corner of her ear she hears the door to her room open up and faint footsteps as enter the room.

"Ma'am." Said a familiar female voice, but Chifuyu kept her head facing away from her as she speaks.

"Yes Miss. Yamada."

"I'm just coming in to inform you that Orimura and Miss. Shinonono have woken up." Said Miss. Yamada, causing Chifuyu to turn her head back to look at her.

"And how are they doing?" She asked.

"They are stable and are healing well, Rin and Cecelia are still asleep but we are still monitoring them to make sure they remain stable as well."

"What about Jackson... I still haven't heard from him yet... is he doing okay as well?"

Miss. Yamada skips through her notebook to pull up the most recent file on Jake's examination.

"His wounds are still rather serious but he is still remaining stable... the Nurses cleaned his lacerations and are monitoring him as well... so I think its safe to say that he is gong to recover as well." Said Miss. Yamada, gaining a small sigh of relief  
from Chifuyu as she returns to her resting position on the bed.

"That's good to hear." She said, glad to hear that it seemed that her students were both in good hands... and were on the road to recovery, however... being the protective type that she was for her students she wasn't quite ready to fully rest easy just  
yet. "But we still have to keep a keen eye on them, so id like you to check on them again an hour later and report any changes in their condition back to me again, okay."

"Yes Ma'am, you can count on me for that." Miss. Yamada nods, understanding her instructions.

"Thank you, Mia... that's all for now." Chifuyu said, and with that note, Miss. Yamada exits the room to continue and leaves her superior be to heal... however only a few moments after leaving, Chifuyu hears the door open again.

"Did you forget something, Mai?" She said, still keeping her head turned away from the door, assuming that it was just Miss. Yamada again.

There was no answer though, instead all Chifuyu heard as a pair of faint footsteps approaching her. And it wasn't until one of the figures walks round the side of the bed and into her line of sight that they decided to speak... And instantly, Chifuyu  
feels her stomach drop on sheer shock and disbelief.

"J-Jackson!"

"Hello, Chifuyu" Jake sais calmly as he pulls up an empty seat and sits by the side of Chifuyu's bed.

"But... you should still be in your room in the Infirmary." Chifuyu said in confusion, unable to understand how the young boy was here. "Miss. Yamada said that you were still past out in bed... and that you were still too heavily injured to move for a  
while."

Chifuyu scans over Jake's figure while talking, and although she had just heard from Yamada about his current state... the condition Jake was showing now as he sat in front of her was all but the same. Jackson had changed from his battered IS suit into  
a pair of dark grey jeans, a black button up shirtand had retrieved his lucky hat... but what was shocking Chifuyu wasn't his attire... it was the fact that there wasn't so much as a scratch on Jake, all his wounds including the near fatal gouge in  
his chest had disappeared without leaving any trace, the scales that riddled his body were gone and on top of that, he looked healthier than ever... like nothing had happened to him at all.

"Well, I was able to take care of those wounds... thanks to the help of a friend of mine." Jake said with a smile as he turned to look at Tatenashi as she sits next to him, holding a black suitcase between her legs.

"Okay... but what are you doing here though." Chifuyu asked, and that's when Jake's smile changed to a more serious expression.

"I came to make sure you were okay." Jake said as he leans forward to rest his elbows on the side of the bed as he looks at Chifuyu.

"Chifuyu... I'm so, so sorry for what I did in the arena. I never wanted anyone to see that monster that you were forced to face, but I broke from the pressure that had been festering in me and I have made a mistake that I prey you can forgive me for."  
He said with sorrow in his eye's.

Chifuyu looked at Jake for a second, taken back a little by this sympathetic... yet scared and worried side of him. She had known him for some time before he came to the Academy, and all that time she had seen him as a strong willed, devoted and dedicated  
young man that aimed to do his level best in his duties and actions... but to see him now, so worried and so full of sorrow and prayers for forgiveness... it reminded her of a time when this rare side of Jake showed... a time that although had occurred  
many years ago... she remembers it clear as day, and also remembered what it was over.

"You know... I remember a long time ago you spoke to me the same way you are doing now." She said, causing Jake to lower his head a little masking his face under his hat.

"Yeah... that was a day I still haven't forgotten." He replies, a slight shudder creeping over him as he recalls that tragic event that changed him in some ways all those years ago.

"I know you felt guilty for what happened back then... as do you feel that way for what happened in the arena. However, just like back then Jake... I know you had no choice." Said Chifuyu, causing Jake to look back up at her in surprise.

"But Ma'am..."

"Listen... Tatenashi and Charlotte told me exactly what happened before you changed, I know that Laura fatally wounded you and that they were worried that for a moment that they lost you in the Hanger... I know that you don't like to agree with it...  
But if you didn't snap and change... you might not be sitting in front of me right now." Chifuyu said in a somewhat firm tone, as if she needed to make sure Jake knew how serious the whole ordeal could have been if things played out a different way.  
Jackson froze for a second after hearing her say that, contemplating on the thought... and deep down in his head, a sudden spark of realisation flickered within him... making him look back at Chifuyu with a shocked expression as she continued to talk  
to her young student.

"Look... I forgave you all those years ago when you blamed yourself for the consequences that followed after that tragedy ended... because I knew you were not to blame regardless of how big a part of it you were. Just like what happened in the arena...  
if Laura never attacked you, then you would never have lost control, so you are not to blame for this event Jake."

"Please don't punish Laura for it though." Jake said, realising that Chifuyu seemed to be aiming most of the blame for the recent events on her. "She suffered enough already... and how is she doing just now?"

"She is still stable... but her injuries were a little more serious than the others, so she may take longer to recover... but why do you want to help her right now Jake, it was her that hurt you first." Chifuyu said out of curiosity... and that's when  
Jake sighs a little as he calmly yet firmly said.

"You know why..."

Chifuyu took a second to think about what he meant by that... but quickly picked up on what Jake was implying as she looks back at him with an understanding expression.

"I guess I should have expected that from you Jackson... even after all those years... your reason to help her hasn't changed at all." She said, causing Jake to nod slightly at her. Meanwhile, while Jake was talking to Chifuyu, Tatenashi was still sitting  
next to him listening in on the conversation. However to be honest, she was drifting in and out of what they were talking about, all she could learn from what she was hearing was that it seemed that Miss. Orimura and Jackson had crossed paths before  
when something bad happened... and this event had lead to a mutual relationship between the two of them where Chifuyu could understand Jake well enough to know he wasn't to blame for what happened in the arena, however she was still unaware of what  
was really behind the scenes of this whole conversation, so she remains quiet as Jake and Chifuyu continue to talk.

"What happened anyway in the arena Jake... Laura has been around you for nearly a month and never did anything this rash before, why did she suddenly snap all of a sudden?" Chifuyu askes Jake, trying to piece together why this whole mess happened in the  
first place... That's when Jake lifts his eyepatch to reveal his black and red Demon like serpents eye that lied beneath, sending a slight chill down Chifuyu's back as she sees it.

"A few days ago... Laura caught sight of this cursed eye of mine... then she ran from me and I never heard from her, then on the day of the incident... while I was out training in the arena, she attacked me out of nowhere... before she forced me to lose  
control of " _Jack_ " I was able to talk a little with her... She said I was the one to blame for what happened, that I was responsible for the deaths of all her close friends and comrades back in Germany... And it was this eye, that she claims  
to have been the last thing she saw... and this was what sparked off the whole thing." Jake said pointing at his damaged eye.

Chifuyu took in all the information that Jake was telling her, and that's when something pops into her head that didn't seem to add up.

"That was the last thing she recalls seeing?" She asked.

"Yeah..." Jake replies.

Chifuyu looks at Jake with a worried expression on her face, one that Jake seemed to share with her.

"We both know that shouldn't be the last thing she saw." Said Chifuyu.

"Yeah, it shouldn't have... Unless..." Jackson replies, before both of them said in unison.

"The injury she sustained did more damage than we thought."

Chifuyu sits up in her bed, placing a palm over her mouth in shock as she realises why Laura could have snapped in the way that she had done.

"Chifuyu... we need to clear the air with Laura, I'm afraid that maybe she doesn't see the bigger picture to everything." Jake said, gaining a nod from Chifuyu.

"I agree... but I'm not really in the best condition to move right now." She replies... still feeling the pain from her wound cause through her, but that's when she noticed Jake smile at her.

"There was another reason why I came to see you, other than apologising for what happened." Jake said, then turns to Tatenashi, who on instinct pulls the black suitcase that she was carrying up from under her seat and placed it on the side of the bed.

"What's that?" Chifuyu asked in confusion, unsure of what Jake had in his possession, but then Jake moves over to the case and punches in the combination to open it and reveals five large packs of some sort of transparent gel based paste, a surgical syringe  
as well as a set of six sealed glass tubes that contained a strange black substance in them... A substance that looked oddly familiar to the tainted blood that Chifuyu had seen Jackson bleed out during her fight with him.

"This... is something that I was only really meant to use for emergencies regarding myself." Jake said as he removes one of the packs of gel paste, syringe and a glass tube from the case.

"The reason I have been able to recover so fast Chifuyu is because I posses a very effective and powerful healing factor thanks to the substance found in these tubes... but should my healing factor ever be over powered then I can rely on this to help  
boost the ability even more to survive fatal wounds that I can heal fast enough... but I have decided, that if I'm going to make things right after what happened in the arena... then the best thing I can do is use them to help get you and the others  
back on your feet... just as fast as I did."

Chifuyu looks at Jake as he carefully inserts the syringe into the rubber seal at the end of one of the tubes and draws a small dosage of his healing factor out of it.

"What's it from, Jake... I'm not familiar with a healing method like this." Chifuyu said, and Jake smiles as he looks back at his confused mentor.

"That's because there is no method like this... The gel in this pack is A.N.R.P (Artificial. Nano. Repair. Paste) which I will use to fill in the more substantial wounds you have... What's in the Syringe is a highly concentrated dose of the chemical bonds  
and bio-molecules that make the healing factor that has been extracted from my own blood. When this is injected into your blood flow, it will be drawn to your wounds and trigger a chemical reaction with the Nano Paste, fusing the wound together and  
forming a brand new layer of flesh over it, while the healing factor will cause through our blood and heal any internal injuries before it dissipates from your system." Jackson said as he takes a look at the drawing board next to Chifuyu's bed...  
skimming through her medical anatomy in order to get a the required information in order to know exactly how much of the healing factor can safely be injected into Chifuyu's blood flow.

"Jake... are you sure you want to do that?... This stuff is important to you, what if you need it later down the road?" Chifuyu asked, realising that Jackson was going out of his way to help her... by technically wasting a very important asset of his  
on her and the others out of sheer kindness. And that's when Jake looks back at her with a serious... yet warm expression glued to his face.

"I'm more than sure... I don't need this as much as you and the others do, and I'm the one that inflicted those wounds no matter what way its looked at... So I'm doing the right thing by helping you lot get better as soon as possible." He said, his words  
of kindness sinking deep into both Chifuyu and Tatenashi... it seemed that with each passing second, Jake's kind and warm hearted nature that they were familiar was coming back even more... to sacrifice a valuable asset of his that had more than likely  
been collected over months in this way for aiding those that he'd hurt unintentionally was an act that only Jackson could do without any hesitation.

"Jake... I don't know what to say... a thank you does doesn't feel like enough." Chifuyu said in gratitude to Jackson, gaining a smile from her young friend.

"You don't have to say anything... You're forgiveness is more than I could ever want." Jake sais as he smiles brightly at Chifuyu before opening the pack of Nano Paste.

"Right... lets get you back on your feet."

Jackson gets up from his chair and walks round the bed to tend to Chifuyu's wounded back... being ever so careful he pulls back her hospital gown to expose the wound. Taking a large handful of the Nano Paste, he carefully began to apply it to her back,  
gently pushing the Paste into the wound. Chifuyu felt a slight chill run through her from the cooling sensation of the Paste, helping her easily overcome the pain from the sensitive areas of the wound being touched as Jake ever so delicately massages  
the Paste into her back, smoothing it out evenly as he runs his hands up his mentors back. He repeats the same method for the stab wounds that were located on her stomach and under her right arm, before taking Chifuyu's arm and places the point of  
the syringe on the main artery in her arm.

"This may feel a little strange... but that's just because the healing factor is working." Jake said, gaining a nod from Chifuyu as she prepared for what was next.

Jake slowly pushed the syringe into Chifuyu's artery and slowly injects the black substance into her blood flow... and a few moments later, Chifuyu jolts slightly as the sensation of the healing factor kicked in. To her, it was like a warm flame was passing  
through her body, but not in a painful or burning way... it was soothing, and relaxing... easing the tension in her muscles as it moved through her. Then the warmth of the substance grew stronger as it reached the areas where the Nano Paste was, and  
although she couldn't see what was happening to the wound on her back, she could however see the look on Tatenashi's face which showed an expression of astonishment as she was able to see the healing take place first hand... As the black substance  
seeped into the transparent Nano Paste, it began to emit a white glow that spread through the Paste that shone as bright as the sun for a few brief seconds, before dissipating just as fast... and left in its wake, a new layer of flesh had been formed  
over the wound that it was covering... with not so much as a scratch left remaining on Chifuyu's now fully healed back.

"Amazing." Was all that Tatenashi was able to say.

"That's the miracle of this healing factor." Jake said as he returns the syringe, glass tube and Nano Paste to their foam moulds in the case.

Chifuyu lays there for a second, unable to find the words that described the feeling that was washing over her... like her strength had returned to her in one big burst, her pains and aches from the injuries she had sustained were now gone, the wounds  
healed over to the point where not one mark was left on her... she felt... great.

"A miracle is an understatement." She said as she sits up on the side of her bed, stretching her arms out and feeling like a new person compared to before, then turns her attention to Jake.

"Thank you, Jake... I owe you one for this." She said, smiling at Jackson... and in an act of kind heartedness, Chifuyu reached out and put an arm round Jake to pull him in and hug him in thanks towards his aid.

"You don't owe me anything, Ma'am... I'm just glad to see you smile again." Jake said, smiling as he embraced his Mentor, letting her hold him for a moment. Tatenashi, who was watching couldn't help but keep her eye's on the two of them... she had never  
seen Chifuyu being so kind and warm hearted towards someone, it was light she was treating Jake like a little brother to her and it was a heart-warming thing to see.

"Well then, since you helped me get back up." Chifuyu said as she breaks from her hug. "Let me help you now... and fix this problem once and for all."

Jake looks at Chifuyu, and a small smile forms on his face as he doesn't take long to realise what she was talking about.

"You think it can be done?" Jake asked.

"Only one way for you to find out... but first, let me change into something other than this." Chifuyu said as she looks down at the hospital gown she was wearing... Suddenly the door burst open as a worried Miss. Yamada rushed into the room.

"Miss. Orimura... Jackson is gone, he isn't in his room anymore- Huh?!" Yamada said when she saw Jake standing next to Miss. Orimura... both shocked and confused at the fact that both of them had seemed to have made a sudden full recovery from their wounds.

"No need to worry, Mia... everything is fine." Said Chifuyu as she began to walk towards the door, looking back at Jake as she did so. "Come on, Jake... We have some important things to attend to now."

"Right behind you Ma'am." Jackson replies as he picks up his case from off the side of the bed and follows after his mentor, swiftly followed by Tatenashi as well... Leaving a rather confused Yamada in the room on her own.

* * *

Back in Ichika's room.

Ichika and Houki had remained in their beds discussing the recent events that the lot of them had been through... by this time, Rin and Cecelia had woken up and were talking about the situation themselves... wondering how things were going to be now.  
It was a hard thing for the lot of them to deal with, because they weren't as up to date with what happened before they got wound up in that fight against _Jack_ they didn't know whether to hate Jackson for what happened, or to try and understand  
what the reason for him snapping like that was, and try to give the boy a chance to make amines... but without even knowing how he was feeling himself about the whole thing... it was difficult for them to make any assumption what so ever.

(CLACK!)

The sound of the door opening catches the attention of the everyone in the room, causing them to turn in the direction of the door... but when they were met by the sight of a fully healed Chifuyu and Jackson, a sense of shock and disbelief shook the room,  
which was clearly seen on the faces of Ichika and his friends.

"Miss. Orimura... Jake!?" The group said in unison.

"Good to see you are all awake." Chifuyu said as she looks at her students that lay in their beds.

"Indeed... I'm glad to see that as well." Jake added in... However, it seemed the voice and presence of Jackson seemed to have a mixed sense of emotion for some of the group.

"What are you doing here!" Snapped a discomforted Rin as she points at Jackson, refusing to let herself be tricked in anyway by his polite manner.

"I came to make sure that you were okay... All of you." Jake said calmly.

"And why would you want to do that... its because of you we're here in the first place." Cecelia suddenly added in, her frustration showing in her eye's as she looks at Jake.

Jackson sighs a little, knowing that this was more than likely the reception he would receive after what happened... but he knew he had to keep his composure and just let his concern for his friends health show as he told them his view of the whole thing...  
and with that thought in mind, he lifted his hat off his head and held it against his heart as he said.

"Because I was worried about all of you."

There was a wave of tension lingering in the air as the room went quiet after he said that... So Jake decided to keep going.

"Guys... no words from me can ever tell you how sorry I am for what happened in the arena... I never wanted to let that monster you faced out, and I never wanted to hurt anyone... but you have to believe me when I say that it was never my intention to  
lose control of myself willingly... I had no choice."

"What do you mean no choice." Houki said out of confusion. "If you never wanted that, then why would you even do it in the first place... what was so important that it made you put everyone at risk like that?"

"He was going to die..." A certain blue haired cat suddenly said as she steps out from behind Jake, her words instantly catching everyone's attention.

"What..." The group said in unison.

"It's true... I was with Jake in the hanger when he was fatally wounded by Laura... and I was so worried when I thought I nearly did lose him... but then." Tatenashi paused for a second when a sudden chill ran down her when a flashback of Jake's demonic  
transformation passed through her head, but when she noticed that the group were all still looking at her in anticipation of what she was going to say next. She swallows dryly as she continues to speak.

"Then something happened in Jake... and I saw him change into the man you fought in the arena. I was scared for him, although his wounds were rapidly healing... he was screaming in pain and fighting back against what was happening to him, but he was powerless  
to stop it."

"Stop what?" Asked Rin.

"To stop _Jack_ from being let loose." Jake said as he puts his hat back on.

"Who's _Jack_?" Houki asked... and that's when even Jake shuddered a little at he sound of that name.

" _J_ ack... is a sick, twisted and psychopathic alter ego that was etched deep within me... he is the gruesome aftermath that was created from a lot of suffering that I went through a long time ago... A monster that crawls through my flesh and taunts  
me with his presence." Jackson said... his words striking confusion and curiosity in the group as he explains the creature that they faced.

"So what about that black liquid that you were bleeding in the fight?" Ichika asked. "Is that something to do with _Jacks_ creation?"

"Yeah... in a way." Jake said as he looked at his hand, felling the tainted blood he possess cause trough him. "That liquid that runs through me is a dangerous cocktail of super-soldier enhancement chemicals that were from a long deceased experiment called  
Project: Nova... and I'm the only survivor from the Project."

"Super-soldier... you mean... you're like Laura in some way." Cecelia said, shocked to hear such a thing as was the rest of the group. And Jackson nods to confirm her question as correct.

"Yeah... I'm a super-soldier... all my strength, power, physical and mental capacities are only at the level that they are at because of Nova 6... the chemical in me... but this cursed blood has a price..." Jake said, sighing as memories of a darker part  
of his past was reminded by those words.

"What do you mean by that? Ichika asked... but Jake just looks blankly back at him.

"I'm afraid that's something I don't like to talk about." Jake said... and it was at this point when Chifuyu stepped in.

"That's enough of the questions for Jake, he's gone through enough already and we don't need to peer into his past if he doesn't want to talk about it... What is important is that all of you know that the man you faced in the arena wasn't Jake... so don't  
hate him for this event. If Laura hadn't attacked him in the first place then none of this would have happened in the first place... she wounded Jake regardless of his attempt to avoid the fight, and as a result... she forced Jake to let his darker  
side take control as he tried to heal himself and lost control."

The others listen to Chifuyu as she explains the event in greater detail... shedding some light on the situation for them, revealing that there was more to this whole ordeal than they thought.

"So, Jake never wanted to fight." Rin said.

"Rin... I never wanted to harm any of you, you're my friends." Jake said sincerely. "All of you never did anything to me... and I'm going to be haunted by the fact that I let this happen."

Ichika and the girls could sense the hurt in Jake's words as he said that, unable to help but feel a little bad for the young man now, but there was still one question that they wanted to know the answer.

"So if you never wanted to fight... why did Laura try to kill you." Asked Houki, causing Jake to sigh as he prepares to reveal something to the group that Laura most certainly hadn't.

"You may not know this... but I crossed paths with Laura a long time ago... and sadly, there was a tragic event that happened round that time, and I found out that she blames me as the one that was ultimately responsible for the deaths of a lot of friends  
that she had." He said, and within an instant... the eye's of Ichika and the rest of the girls widen in shock.

"You know her..." They said in unison, and Jake nods his head slightly just as Chifuyu chipped in on the conversation.

"It's true... back when he was training to enter FEISAR. Inc. Jackson was sent to Germany a few years back, and I was in charge of instructing him as my student alongside Laura and her regiment... but for publicity reasons Jake was undercover, in order  
to reduce the chance of the media getting a hold of him."

The group were unable to believe what they were hearing, never in a million years did they think that Jake would have been a student under Chifuyu's wing before coming to the Academy... nor as a hidden soldier within Schwatzer Haze. It was just unbelievable.

No wonder Chifuyu seemed to be so close to Jake... she had seen him before.

"So why does Laura blame you for whatever happened?" Rin asks Jake, who replies with a simple shrug of his shoulders.

"Its complicated, but it seems that Laura lost sight of the bigger picture on what happened... now its stuck in her head that I'm responsible." He said, saying the only thing that made any sense to him.

"So what will you do now?" Houki added.

"Me and Jake are going to talk to Laura... and find out what really happened to her after that tragedy, and make sure nothing like what happened in the arena ever occurs again." Chifuyu said, making her intention on how Jake's ordeal was to be dealt with  
clearly... and that was when Jake handed his black case to Tatenashi.

"The instructions are in the case... you know how to handle this, Tat." Jake said, gaining a warm smile from his blue haired friend as she nods at him.

"They're in good hands Jake... leave it to me." She said as she takes the case from Jake and walks towards the rest of the group.

"Jackson gifted me with the ability to recover from the injuries I took... and now, he will give that gift to you as a way of wanting to help anyway he can." Chifuyu said, before gesturing Jackson in the direction of the door... but as he turned around,  
he was stopped by Houki's voice as she called him out.

"Jake... thank you."

"I should be thanking you... for giving me the chance to talk to you lot." Jake said as he turns his head back to look at the group.

"No... really... thank you. We're sorry for thinking you were the man we were fighting." Rin then said, her frustration from earlier now fading.

"Quite right... you don't have to worry about what we think about what happened in the past... we're glad to have you back." Cecelia sais, this time causing Jake to smile as he turns all the way to face the group.

"Thanks guys... that means more to me than you think... and I promise, no matter what... I'm never going to let this happen again." He said with a grateful smile on his face.

"We trust you Jake... because you're our friend to." Ichika said.

With that said, Jake leaves the room with Chifuyu while Tatenashi was left to tend to the wounds of her friends using the healing factor that Jake passed on to her.

Jackson and Chifuyu walk down the infirmary hall, the two of them side by side with the same destination in mind... the room at the end of the hall, where a sleeping, wounded and emotionally distressed Laura lays... because tonight, the truth would be  
shown to her... her nightmare that shrouded her for so many years was coming to an end.

And it was up to Jake and his Sisterly Mentor to finish the job... for good.


	21. Laura's Past: Part 1

**I would like to take this moment to apologies to all my fellow readers for the long wait... long story short I have been buried in work doing the night shift and have had barely any time to get back to my story, but I have managed to get the next part up and I hope all of you enjoy it as I work hard to get the next chapter written asap.**

 **Tis new chapter is the first of a three part flashback due to word count issues.**

 **Never the less I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

Laura lies motionless in her bed, the drapes closed to isolate her from the rest of the room as she stare's up at the ceiling, her expression blank and emotionless. The sound of the rain pouring down against her rooms window was all that was heard as she lies there, the feeling of guilt, defeat, despair... sorrow and failure washing down on her as heavily as the storm outside.

The wounds that riddled her body and despite having been administered several pain suppressant drugs in order to calm the pain that ripped through her... she still couldn't move without wincing a little from the excruciation and agony that she was burdened with. She looks down to see the wound that was causing her the most of this pain, which was a large X shaped laceration that ran the length of almost her entire upper body... even breathing was a painful experience itself as her wound is stressed by the shallow rise and fall of her chest. As she lies there, her mind is awash with images and memories of the fight that she barely survived, every now and again as she blinks... visions of _Jack_ and his vicious nature flash before her eye's... unable to forget the creature that almost ended her, the raging heat of the fire that wrapped round his demonic form, his reptilian scales, the razor sharp scythe blades that were drawn from his arms... and that sadistic, twisted and cruel smile.

Things that all aided in tormenting Laura as she stays motionless.

"Laura... are you okay?" Asked a worried Charlotte as she sits beside the bed of her roommate. She had been by her side for the most part of the day after she had been tended to regarding her own wound, which luckily was nothing more serious than a minor burn that had been soothed and bandaged. And had decided that she was going to stay with her friend for as long as she could, not wanting her to feel alone. Laura slowly turned her head to look at the blonde French girl, seeing the worried expression that was worn on her face.

"I've been better..." Laura said... Then looked down to notice the bandages round her friends hand. "How did that happen?"

"Huh... oh these, its nothing." Charlotte said somewhat shyly, withdrawing her hand to hide the bandages but it doesn't take Laura that long to figure out what was likely the reason to why her friend was hurt. Her expression turns to a frustrated scowl.

"It was that freak, wasn't it... he did that to you." Laura said in a stern tone, causing Charlotte to turn her head away for a moment. She knew that there was some kind of reason for her to dislike Jackson and start that fight, but to hear her say such things like that about him in person was a somewhat harder thing to deal with than she thought.

"It was an accident..." Charlotte said quietly, shying away from the weight of Laura's stare weighing down on her.

"How can you say that it was an accident?" Laura questioned... not sure to why Charlotte was defending Jake, but the young French girl stood her ground as she turns back to face her.

"You don't understand, Laura... I saw what happened to Jake when he changed into the man you fought." Charlotte said, gaining Laura's full attention with her statement.

"When me and Tatenashi found Jake in the hanger... he was dying, and both of us were so worried that he wasn't going to make it... but... whatever happened within him that changed him was what saved his life... but even so, I could see that he was fighting it...Like he was rather willing to die than let the events that followed on happen. He never wanted to fight you... yet you still pushed to end him... why Laura? What did he ever do to you?"

It was at that point that Laura felt the urge to snap, and give a verbal barrage of exactly why she wanted to Kill Jackson, however... she knew now that obviously Charlotte was unaware of her reason, and therefore did not deserve the brunt of her anger... So Laura just merely took a deep breath and she maintains her composure.

"And you wouldn't understand, Charlotte... You and the others may have been fooled by that nice guy gimmick that Jake played on the Academy since he arrived... But I haven't, I have seen what that monster has done in the past... and how he ripped apart the lives of so many, and ruined the lives of the survivors." Laura said, memories and violent flashbacks popping into her head as she recalls the events that she was talking about. Charlotte on the over hand raises a brow in confusion... unsure on what Laura was talking about. What did she mean by _Nice guy Gimmick_? or by saying she sees what sort of a _monster and murderer Jackson is_?

Was she implying... That she has seen _Jack_ before?

"Laura..." Charlotte said quietly as she leaned closer to her friend. "Are you saying you've-."

(Clack!)

Charlotte was cut off from her sentence when the two girls hear the sound of the infirmary room door opening in the near distance and swiftly followed by a pair of footsteps getting closer to the curtain that surrounded the bed. The two girls stayed quiet, waiting to see who it was that had entered the room, however when the curtain slides open and they see that it was Chifuyu, both girls... especially Laura, turned wide eyed and gobsmacked to see that she was here.

"M-Ma'am?" Charlotte said in sheer shock and disbelief.

"M-Mentor?" Laura adds, thinking that she was hallucinating or something. The last time she saw Chifuyu was after the fight between her and Jackson, back when she was riddled with cuts bruises and injuries that should have kept her in a state of healing and out of action for weeks at the very least, but now... here she stands in front of her... completely healed, not a scratch on her, a sight that Laura just couldn't seem to believe despite it being right in front of her.

"Charlotte, can you please leave for a moment... I need to speak with Laura regarding this whole incident." Chifuyu asked of the young blonde French girl. Charlotte willingly complies with her superior, but not before she looks back at Laura an gives her one last reassuring smile of comfort before she gets up from her seat next to the bed and passes through the drapes to exit the room, leaving Laura alone with Chifuyu.

Laura couldn't help but swallow dryly, undeniably nervous of the fact that she was stuck in this bed, with no way to avoid the lecturing she was most likely going to get from Chifuyu for attempting to kill one of her students, or for getting her brother as well as most of the representative contenders into a fight that could have ended up fatal for them as well... why else would she want to speak to her alone, without the backup of any of her friends to aid her. Her heart monitor showed her nervous state on screen as her heart rate picked up as Chifuyu sits down next to her bed.

"You've really jumped into the deep end this time haven't you, Laura." She said somewhat calmly... as if she was sympathising Laura as she scans over the bloodied, battered and scared body of her student, causing Laura to turn away from her in shame.

"Mentor... no words can describe how ashamed I feel for disgracing your name in my failed attempts... I assume you how hear to scorn me for this." Laura said, sorrow and shame in her tone as she just wanted this inevitable punishment she was going to face for her actions to be over and done with... however, that was when she hears Chifuyu say something completely unexpected.

"I never came here to scorn you, Laura... I came to make sure you are going to be okay." She said, instantly causing Laura to snap her head back to look at Chifuyu in confusion and shock.

"What?" Laura could only reply with a stunned expression on her face. "I thought you would have come here to punish me for starting that fight."

Chifuyu looks at Laura and sighs a little as she sees her point, because technically she should be punishing her, it was her that started the fight, she was the one that nearly killed one of her students... and it was her that drew her little brother and friends into a fight with a monster that would have undoubtedly killed all of them hadn't she found a way to stop _Jack._ However... there was one small thing stopping her from doing so... one tiny detail that she learned from Jake that lead her to believe that Laura was oblivious to the bigger picture within her own past... something she knew could have been the only reason as to why Laura attacked him in the arena... and now it was time to find out once and for all.

"Laura, as right as you are... I cannot punish you for something I don't believe is either yours or Jackson's fault." She said, causing Laura to raise her brow to her with a questioning expression glued to her face.

"What do you mean that its neither our faults?" She asked.

"Laura... You didn't know that Jackson was harbouring that creature that you fought within him, neither did I... So holding you responsible for dragging Ichika and the others into a fight that would have definitely killed all of you is beyond any logical reasoning. And for Jake, it wasn't his fault that he lost control of his darker side... he would have died if he hadn't." Said Chifuyu, however Laura just stared blankly at her.

"Forgive me for saying this Mentor... But I wish he was dead." Laura said in a cold and blunt tone. Causing Chifuyu to sigh a little, expecting something like that to be her reaction.

"And why's that?" She asked, this time causing Laura's expression to shift slightly into a more angered one.

"Please don't play games with me like he did... you know what he's done... and yet you still want to defend that murderer." She scolds, turning her head away from Chifuyu, feeling somewhat disgusted that she was hearing her own mentor try to stand up for someone she hated... When suddenly, Chifuyu said something that was about to change Laura's entire perspective of this whole ordeal.

"He isn't a murderer, Laura... in fact... He's the reason you're still alive to this very day." Chifuyu said calmly... and in the few mere seconds it took for those words to sink into her head, Laura instantly turns back to face her with the most shocked looking expression on her face, unable to believe what she just heard.

"What!" She gasped at her Mentor. "What do you mean by that?"

"Jackson told me that the last thing that you remember seeing was that damaged eye that he keeps hidden behind his eyepatch... is that correct?" Chifuyu asked, Laura... gaining a faint nod from the young German girl.

"I see... so you don't remember anything else." She said as she lowers her head herself a little, releasing that both hers and Jake's assumption was correct... that the injury they both knew Laura had suffered from all those years ago had indeed done more damage than they had expected...

That she had lost an important part of her memory regarding this whole ordeal... the part that proved that she was wrong about what she believed about Jackson's involvement with the loss of her friends and comrades.

"Mentor... what do you mean that he saved me?" She then Laura say, gaining her attention as she turns back to her wounded student.

"Jake wasn't trying to hurt you, nor was he the one that killed your fellow Division Pilots, Laura... in fact... He was trying to save all of you." Chifuyu said.

Her words sunk deep into Laura's head, sending her mind into a swirl of confusion, unable to understand how such a situation could be possible... It just made no sense to her... she was convinced Jake was the one at fault, shaking her head violently to stop herself from believing such a thing.

"No!" She suddenly snapped. "I don't believe it... I can't... How is that monster the reason I'm still alive... It's impossible."

She had become so confused by what Chifuyu was saying that she was about to reach the point of breaking up again, unsure if she could ever believe anything that anyone would tell her ever again... Then Chifuyu spoke up again.

"I know this would have been tough for you to understand... so maybe this will help you believe me." She said. Chifuyu reached into her blazer and pulls out an old newspaper that she had retrieved from her office and passed it to Laura.

"What's this?" She asked as she took the paper from her Mentor.

"This was an unpublished paper made a week after the incident... Schwartzer Haze shut it down to protect Jake's identity... read the cover page." She said.

Laura unfolds the paper and was met with an image that would etch itself into her mind. On the cover of the paper was a photo of the same gunmetal coloured IS that she remembers from Schwartzer Haze... It was Jake in his IS (Storm Ghost) standing in the midst of a raging inferno of burning IS's blown up buildings, clearly taken during the massacre was unfolding... However there was something about the picture that was raising thoughts in her mind. As she looked at the paper she saw that in the photo, Jackson had skewered another IS through its chest, the dying machine reaching out towards his face as if to try and strangle him but was failing... that's she spots something on the IS Jackson was killing...

It had an American flag emblem painted on its chest... right where Jake had skewered it.

"What?!" She muttered under her breath, then she looks at the title of the paper, reading.

( **Traitor... or Hero?** )

Laura then reads the first few paragraphs of the paper.

( **Tensions between American and German politics rise after day that will forever haunt the hearts of Schwartzer Haze unfolded in the early hours of the morning when a supposed Cyber attack on a small squadron of American unmanned Infinite Stratos Units that resulted in the loss of control over the drones and lead to the mass destruction of Schwartzer Haze and heavy loss of life, was later revealed to be an unprovoked, dastardly and sinister terror attack on the German military by the American corporation that was involved with the creation of these drones in an attempt to destroy Schwartzer Haze as well as their top pilots.)**

 **"** What?" Was all that Laura could say in disbelief of what she was reading. Taking in what she was learning from this paper, it seemed that there really was a bigger plot to this whole ordeal that she was unaware of... and that alone, was enough to urge her to read the rest of the paper.

 **(Fortunately for the pilots of Schwartzer Haze, help was on their side in the form of another American. Jake Jackson, a young IS pilot from Texas who was currently undergoing training at the complex under German instruction was on hand and on duty at the time of the attack. Going against the orders of his superiors, the patriotism of his nation and even being reported to have fought his way past multiple armed U.S. Guards in order to obtain his IS Unit, stormed into the fireball of destruction that was ripping through the German military base and took the fight back to the drones. Determined to protect what little survivors were left, Jackson destroyed the drones and was also the one that revealed that the whole attack was not only planned, but was also triggered from within the base... by the very group of Americans that brought the drones into Schwartzer Haze... To most of the Americans that were involved and who also knew of this ordeal call Jake a traitor, a betrayer and a disgrace to his Nation... but to Schwartzer Haze, he is one of the very few outside their walls that they consider a hero and a valued friend to them, and it is unavoidable to believe that had it not have been for the quick reactions and stone strong will of Jake Jackson, then Schwartzer Haze would have suffered a far greater loss that day than they had done... Jackson. A man that fights for the right reason, and not for his origin... A Hero, or a Traitor?)**

Laura is now left in a state of shock, after reading the cover paragraph of the news paper had just managed to scramble her thoughts even more... there was more to this whole thing than she knew, and Jackson was an even bigger part of her past than she thought about to be... with a startled and pale look on her face she turned to Chifuyu.

"Mentor... What really happened that day?" She asked in a timid and frightened tone, realising that there was so much more to know about what happened that day at Schwartzer Haze...

Chifuyu takes a deep breath as she looks back at Laura... there was no denying it now, she really had no idea of the truth about what happened, and now it was up to her to fill in the blank spaces in her mind.

To reveal the truth about why Jackson was really sent to Schwartzer Haze.

"More than you know, Laura... That's why I'm here... Its time you learned the truth about why Jake was sent to Germany." Chifuyu said as she scoots her seat up closer to the side of Laura's bed.

And the story begins.

 _"Five years ago, while he was still undergoing his training in order to join FEISAR... Jake was sent to Schwartzer Haze, and thanks to the CEO of FEISAR being a close friend and trusted contact with most of the higher officers within the bases ranks, he was easily able to grant Jackson access to the base... He was stationed within your squadron under my instruction in order to train alone side the best pilots that were currently at hand and hone his close quarter combat skills as well as team building exercises... However, the only catch was that he had to do all of this while remaining hidden... for if the word that a Male American IS pilot was training with the German IS program, things could have gotten a little messy on the political side... So Jackson made up a cover story that only a few inside Schwartzer Haze as well as me knew the truth about... To us, we knew it was Jake... but to you and most of the other pilots and personal in the base... You knew him as Project Silver Spear, Unit: 262.A." -Chifuyu._

* * *

Jackson sits quietly, his head down and masked by his luck western hat looking at his thumbs as he twirls them in his hands. He was siting inside an Armoured Personal Carrier that was being driven through the thick and vast green of the German country side. His destination.

The German IS Military base: Schwartzer Haze.

"You feel okay Jake?" He hears the reassuring voice of his close friend Sabrina, who was sitting in the chair opposite him inside the A.P.C. She was accompanying him for the trip to the base, however she wouldn't be staying... she was merely Jackson's escort, once he was handed over to the German military... He'd be on his own till the end of his training.

So understandably he was feeling rather nervous.

"I'm fine Sabrina... just a little nervous." Jake said quietly, still masking his head below his hat. That's he felt the warm arm of Sabrina resting on his shoulder as she moved to the seat next to him, causing him to look up and see that she was smiling down at him.

"Hey now... I know when you're troubled Jake." She chuckles, rubbing Jake's shoulder to comfort him, gaining a faint smile from under his hat.

"Thanks for coming with me for the trip here Sabrina... I really appreciate it." Jake said, leaning against Sabrina's side, finding comfort in the calming embrace of his close friend.

"What's on your mind kid?" Sabrina asked. Jackson sighs a little, knowing that trying to hide anything from Sabrina was pretty much useless, because in the many months that he'd spent around her during his training, or in the lab upgrading or reviewing data collected from (Storm Ghost), she had learned from his body language whenever something was worrying him... no matter how hard he tried hiding it.

"I'm just on the edgy side, considering that I'm going to be without any help from you or the rest of FEISAR, for the rest of my training... I heard the German military officer in charge of training me is pretty damn tough." Jake said.

Sabrina gave Jake a warm smile as she lets the young boy rest against her, she couldn't blame him for feeling the way he was. It was true that this phase of his training was going to be amongst the toughest stages that he was to face, and that she did in fact happen to know who was put in charge of training Jake for the duration of his stay in Germany, but she wasn't going to give Jake any more stress than he already had.

"Jake."

"Yeah."

"Do you remember that saying that I told you the last time you were nervous? The one that the rest of the pilots from FEISAR use." Sabrina asked, causing Jake to look up at her as he spoke.

"No fear to great to conquer... No enemy too strong to defeat." Jake said quietly, gaining a nod from Sabrina.

"That's the one... I want you to put it to use for me. I know that this part of your training is nerve racking... but you have to realise that one day or another you will be going into situations that are worse than this... do you understand what I'm trying to tell you." Sabrina asked Jake, gaining a small smirk from the young Texan.

"That its better to grow a pair and man up before the situation ever happens." He said, causing Sabrina to chuckle a little, not expecting Jake to have such a response to answer.

"After what you've managed to pull off... I'd be surprised if that's possible for you Jake." Sabrina said, causing Jake to chuckle in response himself. She was happy to see that she had managed to lighten his mood a little, the two of them engaging in light conversation over the many events that they had gone through in the few months that Jake had been training... Then they felt a sudden shift in the A.P.C that indicated that it was stopping.

"We're here Ma'am." The driver of the vehicle says over the intercom. Sabrina turns back to Jake as he leans off of her and breaths deeply.

"You're gonna be fine Jackson, just remember what you have learned so far, keep your head switched on... and you will make it through." She said to him, giving her pilot a few last words of encouragement, then there was a hiss as the rear doors of the A.P.C open to reveal two female German soldiers armed with assault rifles standing outside and waiting to take Jackson into the base.

Jake gets up from his seat and exits the vehicle, taking in the sight and sheer size of the Military complex that he was stationed in, however just before the two soldiers escorted him off he turns back to give Sabrina one last smile.

"I'll see you again Ma'am." He said, gaining a smile from Sabrina as the doors of he A.P.C close and he watches as the vehicle carrying his friend drives off to exit the base.

"This way kid." One of the soldiers order Jackson as they point him in the direction they were to escort him in. As Jake follows them he scans around the base, it was definitely a change of view compared to FEISAR's main base, with IS units lined up in standby mode in several massive hangers circling the main complex and all guarded by rolling convoys of Leopard II Main battle tanks and fast response turreted jeeps that were busy patrolling the base as he walks by. Most of the bases personal were asleep right now though considering that Jackson had transferred during down time to ensure that the only ones that were to see him were the soldiers escorting him and any of the night time patrollers that were informed under secrecy that a male IS pilot from the States was to be brought into the complex. The two soldiers bring Jake into the main complex, passing, him through the command station and showed him the mess hall that he would eat from as well as the facility shower room where he would be able to wash off after training... then after his small tour he was walked down a small corridor and brought to a door at the end of it.

"This is your station kid." One of the soldiers said as she reached into her pocket and handed Jackson a small key.

"Thank you." Jake said politely to the soldiers as they turned back and retired to their own stations for the night.

Jackson opens the door to his own living quarters and switched on the light. As the room is lit up he takes a moment to take in the place, it was a rather spacious room with a sink and private bathroom however lacking a shower of any sorts, the room was painted a pale shade of grey and he turns to see that his IS piloting suit that was sent ahead of him before departure was folded neatly on his bed.

(Clack!)

Jake's ears perk up as he hears his door open from behind him.

"Mr. Jackson I presume?" Jake hears a female voice behind him and turns to face the figure that had entered the room. He was met by a black haired woman wearing a dark grey female Officers suit, she stared at the data of the new arrival shown on her screen. The photo was a spitting replica of the boy that was standing in front of her... She'd been waiting in the main build after her superiors informed her the new transfer pilot she would be having added to her unit was going to be arriving in the earily hours of the morning as scheduled.

"Yes Ma'am." Jake said politely.

"Good." The woman said as she sets her tablet aside to look at the young boy standing before her.

"I'm Drill Officer. Orimura, I will be your Mentor and division trainer for your duration here." Miss. Orimura said to Jake, gaining a bow from him.

"Its a pleasure to be under your instruction Ma'am, I look forward to training with you." Jake said.

"Huh... We'll see if you feel the same way after tomorrows first lesson." Miss. Orimura said bluntly, showing no signs of flattery by Jake's polite manners. "Anyway, I've come here to establish some ground rules, given the delicacy of your situation at this complex."

"Ah, of course there was gonna be a complication of some sorts I presumed." Jake sighs... then all of a sudden, a sharp pain rushes through his head as Miss. Orimura drive a fist into the top of his head and forces him to clutch his scalp in his hands tightly, groaning in pain from the headache that followed on soon.

"Don't get funny with me kid, one thing you should know about me is that I don't tolerate sarcasm in my unit, and all sarcasm is disciplined instantly... understand." Snapped Miss. Orimura, causing Jake to groan as he looked up at her.

"Understood." Jake muttered as he rubs his head to soothe the pain, pretty sure he could feel a bump forming on his scalp.

"Good... Now listen carefully, as long as you're here you will follow these rules. Due to your situation you will be assigned your own separate times to when you can use the facility showers and mess hall in order to keep your association with us a secret. You are to report to every training session with your IS in full armour mode to remain hidden within the division during training and report back to your assigned hanger before un-deploying it. You are also not to engage in any conversation with any other personal within the base that don't know of your transfer, if you do and your cover is blown you will be discharged from here immediately and returned to FEISAR... Have I made myself clear." Said Miss. Orimura as she finishes off explaining her ground rules to Jake, who in turn takes a second to memorise everything that he had been told.

"Yes Ma'am, I understand everything." Jake said clearly.

"Alright then... in that case, you get some sleep and report to the mess hall at 05:30am, then after that we will begin your training." Miss. Orimura said, gaining a nod from Jake as his sign of understandment, and on that note she turns her back to Jake and exits the room, leaving Jake alone for the night.

"Jesus... That woman has an iron fist." Jake mutters under his breath, his head still throbbing from that hit he'd taken from Miss. Orimura.

 _(The Next Morning at 07:30am)_

The cool and brisk morning wind blew gently over the base as Miss. Orimura walks across the court yard to meet with her division, standing before her was a group of twenty young girls all standing to attention as their Mentor steps forward.

"Alright ladies, listen up... for the next two months you will be part of an ongoing experiment on behalf of one of Schwartzer Hazes outside allies." Miss. Orimura said, instantly raising small groups of the soldiers to start conversating with each other.

"Ein Experiment, was würden sie damit meinen?" One of the girls asks the ones next to her.

"Ich weiß es nicht, aber es muss ziemlich wichtig sein, wenn ganze Divisionen dafür erforderlich sind." Another one answers.

"Ja, und sie sagten, dass es von einem der Außenstehenden von Schwartzer Haze gemacht wurde ... Ich frage mich, wer sie sind?" One of the other girls near the centre of the ranks said, instantly sparking the curiosity of every girl in the division. Small groups of conversation began to form throughout the ranks, until the sharp sound of Miss. Orimura clapping her hand silences them.

"That's enough of that." She said sternly to put her division back into check.

"Mentor Orimura, darf ich die Erlaubnis haben, im Namen der Division zu sprechen? " Said a young silver haired girl, who was standing at the front of the ranks. Her name... Laura Bodewig, Captain of this specific division of pilots and the pride of Schwartzer Haze's IS program. A soldier who's skill was unmatched and highly respected within the base. To her, this whole so called experiment scenario didn't seem to show that much interest, however seeing that her fellow division mate were more interested about it, she decided to ask her mentor herself.

"Okay, Laura... you may speak." Miss. Orimura said as she turns to the silver haired girl.

"Was genau ist dieses Experiment, an dem wir teilnehmen sollen? " Laura asked, every ear listening in as Miss. Orimura speaks in response to her question.

"You will all find out, as I figured it would be better if you are all shown instead of me trying to explain it myself." She said to the group, before standing to attention herself as she begins to perform her drill for the division of pilots.

"Soldaten, seid aufmerksam. " Miss. Orimura commanded, all of the girls within the ranks instantly snap to attention in perfect unison.

"Nun, Über und marsch vorwärts! " The group hear their commander order, turning about and begining their march towards the IS training grounds, coming to find a large unmarked metal container that was being guarded by two armed solders in the middle of the gravel arena. Miss. Orimura stops the group in front of the container and orders them to stand at ease as she walks round, putting herself between them and the container.

"Today... we will putting a new supposed breakthrough in Infinite Stratos technology through its paces, to give this new technology its best chance of proving itself as the next great invention after the IS's development... The worlds most advanced unmanned IS unit." Miss. Orimura said, her words instantly sparking a shocked look on the faces of nearly every girl in the group, unsure that they really just heard what she said. Laura on the other hand just seemed to be more curious than shocked... she knew that one day such a breakthrough would eventually become a reality in the ever going stride for more advanced and powerful IS technology, but it was a surprise to her that an unmanned IS could have been built so soon, and to get to see an train with this new machine seemed to bring a sense of joy to her, getting to see the true difference between human and machine in combat.

Miss. Orimura then turns to face the two soldiers guarding the container.

"Schneide das Schloss zu. " She ordered, the two soldiers complying and using the bolt cutters they were given to sheer the metal chain that was sealing the container, and as the sound of the metal breaking echo's through the air... there was a sudden loud mechanised noise, as if something inside the container had heard the lock break and was waking up. Most of the girls in the group jolted as the sound startles them, except Laura however who remained dead still as the sound of something moving within the container grew louder, like an energetic charging noise and the sound of heavy steel footsteps.

And suddenly... a pair of metallic claws push through the slip in the container doors and force them open.

And the entire group goes wide eyed in surprise by what they saw.

A dark purple glow from inside the container reveals the silhouette of the Machine as it steps out of its dark cage and into the light, revealing to the girls an IS which showed a design the likes of which none of them had ever seen. The IS was a gleaming gunmetal colour and looked like something out of the future compared to any other IS they had seen with its streamline body design and full metal and C.N.T Muscle Fibre body that replaced where a human pilot would normally be, causing the division to gawk silently at the machine as it steps forward and stops right next to Miss. Orimura, looking down at eh girls.

"Also ... So sieht ein unbemannter Infinite Stratos aus. " Laura said under her breath as she examines the IS standing in front of her, little did she or any of the other members of her division know that behind the steel plated and emotionless face of that IS... A young Texan was watching them as well, taking in the separate reactions from each girl in front of him as well.

"Hmmm, they all seem to be pretty surprised to see (Storm Ghost) for the first time." Jake thought to himself as he looks around the group, then Miss. Orimura speaks up again gaining the entire groups attention.

"This is A-I-S. Unit 262.A... otherwise codenamed as Project: Silver Spear, the first fully autonomous unmanned IS to see human trialling." She said, looking up at the IS standing beside her, the name of the machine spreading through the division by whispers.

"Project: Silver Spear is the first stepping stone of a new generation of advanced I.A. controlled IS's designed and built within the United States. Supposedly to spare their best pilots from situations far too dangerous for human pilots to enter." Miss. Orimura said. She was setting Jackson's cover story in stone for the young German pilots, however she noticed Laura scoffing at the IS as she listened to her Mentor.

"Something the matter Miss. Bodewig?" She said as she turns to her, staring at Laura's cold and emotionless gaze towards the (Silver Spear).

"Ich hätte vermuten sollen, dass es die Amerikaner waren, die dahinter steckten, wenn diese unbemannten IS-Einheiten ihre besten Piloten verschonen sollten, weil sie sagten, sie seien zu feige und rückgratlos, um die Arbeit selbst zu erledigen ... dann würde es das leuchtet mir ein." Laura said as she olds her arms at the IS standing next to Miss. Orimura.

"Guess whatever you like about why this IS is here Miss. Bodewig... but that won't change the fact that it's here and we will be putting the (Silver Spear) through its paces every day for the next four months." Miss. Orimura simply replies.

"Darf ich fragen, welche Schritte wir genau durchmachen? " Laura asked.

"The (Silver Spear) has been fitted with a new type of advanced A.I. Unit that allows it to learn and adapt from the fighting styles of its opponent to counter with its own unique fighting style... the reason it has been sent here, is so it can be allowed to learn from your division in the arts of close quarter combat and advanced forms of team exercises. As you all know, Schwartzer Haze's pilots are unmatched in these fields... so it was only natural for the makers of this new unmanned IS to send it here, to learn from the best to become the best itself." Miss. Orimura said as she explains the reason for this IS being here, a small smile tugging at Laura's lips as she listens to her praise about her squadron's achievements in their efforts and training.

"Okay... if we are done talking about this, let's begin the first exercise." Said Miss. Orimura as she turns to look up at the IS next to her.

Step forward (Silver Spear)." She commanded, the rest of the girls in the squadron watching as the gunmetal IS complies with its order and slowly walks forward on the gravel floor of the training grounds.

"Miss. Bodewig, I want you to pick three pilots for this task." Miss. Orimura then asked of Laura, who turns back to her division and points at three of her best squad mates.

"Naomi, Bella, Anne Ich überlasse dir dieses Ding. " Laura said to the three girls, who in turn salute their leader.

"Ja Captain: Bodewig, wir werden alles geben, was wir haben. " The three girls said in unison as they step forward and stand to attention in front of the (Silver Spear).

"Alright girls, this is how it gonna be done." Said Miss. Orimura as she goes over the rules of the exercise. "This is going to be a ground based only exercise to simulate the possibility of being outnumbered and out gunned, the three of you are going to force the (Silver Spear) to submit, you are permitted to use whatever weapons and tactics you have at your disposal to ensure your victory. And remember, this is a ground based exercise... no flying... understand."

"Ja Lehrer Orimura, wir verstehen." The three female pilots said as they nod to their superior, then Miss. Orimura turns to (Silver Spear).

"(Silver Spear), your task is to fend off your attackers until they give up, however you are only permitted to resort to your melee weapons and that's it... Should you fight back with any of your ranged offensive weapons you will fail the exercise... Understood." She said to the IS... and there was a brief moment of silence as Jackson takes in the gravity of his situation, feeling a sense of nervousness creeping over him.

 _"Three on one and restricted to my blade and that's it... this seems a little harsh for the first lesson."_ Jake thought to himself, scanning round to see every girl in the division was staring straight at him. However he quietly takes a deep breath and remains focused and after collecting his thoughts he turns his head to Miss. Orimura and nods at her, showing that he understood the rule of engagement as well.

"Okay, the rest of you. Bewegen Sie sich in die Umgebung des Trainingsgeländes. Wir werden dieses Engagement aus sicherer Entfernung beobachten, während die Übung durchgeführt wird. " Said Miss. Orimura as she orders the rest of the division to retreat to a safer distance. The girls comply with her and make their way to the observation posts on the outskirts of the training grounds. As they did so, Miss. Orimura orders the three girls that were fighting Jake to activate their IS Units.

From inside his IS, Jackson watches as the three bracelets on each of the girls glow and engulf them in a bright white light, the sound of metal components locking into place echoing out, and when the light subsides... Jackson sees the forms of the machines that he would be facing.

Mark III Fang Quake Heavy assault Units.

All three IS's were constructed from a bulky and heavily armoured design however showed that their standard FX.34 Thruster systems had been replaced by a more powerful RU.152 Propulsion system to give them an increased speed advantage as well as reinforced upper leg and gauntlet armour for unarmed combat, yet despite their large and bulky design the three IS's were rather streamlined and looked to have been heavily modified to fight at close range which was a less common engagement scenario for a standard Mark III Fang Quake.

One thing that Jake noticed straight away about these three models in particular was that despite them being the same IS... none of them were armed with the same arsenal of weaponry. The one to his left was holding a large broad sword in one hand whilst attached to her right gauntlet was a hexagonal shaped steel shield with a sharp blade on each edge of the shield, and the muzzle break poking out from behind it revealed that hiding behind that shield was a Kalashnikov RPK-74 LMG that was attached to the arm of the IS. The middle IS was holding a medium calibre Combat Assault Rifle that from the look of it was modelled off of the famous German WWII STG-44 automatic rifle however this modernised version was fitted with an optic sight, side mounted bayonet and sixty millimetre grenade launcher and either side of the pilots head were two shoulder mounted short barrelled fifty millimetre belt fed cannons. The third and final IS on the right was the most heavily armed of them all, baring two modified double barrelled German MG-42's that were attached to each forearm of the machine, mounted to each shoulder of the unit were a pair of six pod micro missile launchers and kept in the holster on the IS's back was a C.A.B Fully automatic shotgun. The only this all three IS's had that Jake could spot was a low calibre Submachinegun that was strapped to the left leg of each unit, clearly their last resort weapon if all others fail.

By the time Jake had analysed his opponents load-outs, Miss. Orimura and the rest of the division had retired to the safety of the observation posts, watching the four Units staring each other down behind the blast proof plexiglass screen in front of them.

"Units, ready." She calls out, the three German pilots nod to her and make ready to move on the start.

"(Silver Spear), ready."

Jake nods himself as he prepare for what was going to be a tough fight ahead... and on that signal, Miss. Orimura raises her hand and brings it down as she shout.

"Let the exercise... Begin."

Jackson instinctively reaches behind him for his H.F. Blade... but in the time it had taken him to do so the three pilots had suddenly moved in and were surrounding him on all angles. With his hand still gripping the handle of his blade, Jake remains still in anticipation of the next move that his opponents would make, as did the three girls as they slowly circle their target like a pack of hungry wolves and keep their weapons trained on the (Silver Spear), unsure though as to why it wasn't fighting back so suddenly, instead it was just keeping its hand firmly gripped on its blade that was still hidden within the sheaf on its back. With his more advanced Proximity-Hyper sensors, Jackson could see everything around him, even the IS in his blind spot and watches as his attackers circle him, when suddenly the rifle armed IS fires her under barrel grenade launcher at him without warning. With his lightning fast reaction timing Jackson draws his blade and swings as he turns around in one swift motion... he hits the motar sized grenade fractions of a second before it hit him and slices it in half, the two fragments passing either side of him and detonating behind him and blinding the other two IS's. Jake instantly goes on the offensive and charges at the IS that fired at him, bringing his blade up and striking in a downwards motion but the pilot of the German IS had seen the attack coming and blocks Jakes strike with the hilt of her Bayonet, stopping the blade from touching her. She kicks Jake's leg back and forces him to stumble back, allowing her to aim her rifle straight at him and fires. Jackson ducks and rolls out of the way, a few rounds from his attacker ricocheting of his right arm and shoulder and chip a small segment of his shield energy off as he frantically tries to stay out of Anne's line of sight, her shoulder mounted cannons then fire a burst at him but narrowly miss, kicking up clouds dust as the high explosive round hit the gravel.

Jackson uses the clouds of dust to his advantage and puts them between him and Anne as she continues to fire in his estimated direction, until he hears the tell tail (Click) he was waiting for.

"Bedecke mein Reload." Anne called out over her comms to request backup from her teammates as she ejects her empty Magazine and reached for a fresh one. However as she does so, that was the exact moment when she spots her target darting out of the dust and straight for her. Sure he could beat her reload time, Jackson spins his body mid-dash and brings his sword round with blind speed, determined to hit his opponent this time round... but seconds before he could, Naomi had heeded her teammates call and moves in Jakes way and brings her shield up to block his strike. The sound of Jackson's blade smashing into the side of Naomi's shield rings out throughout the grounds, sparks flying as she forces his attack off course and causes him to pass by unable to harm his target.

"Oh nein, tust du nicht. " Said Naomi as she points her Kalashnikov RPK-74 LMG at Jackson and fires, using his sword as best he could like a fly swatter Jake tries to deflect as much incoming fire as possble, bullets bouncing and breaking off the side of his blade as he swings like a maniac but he was still taking fire and losing shield energy. He had to close the gap and get stuck in, if he was going to beat these girls, he had to fight them up close where their guns were usless. Still swatting bullets left, right and centre Jake charged as Naomi and forced her into a blade fight, Naomi blocks one strike and locks blades with her target. Jake tries to use his strength to overpower her, but it proved ineffective as she uses her own counter measure against him, twisting her own blade and smacks Jackson in the side of his head with the hilt of her blade and stuns him. Taking advantage of this, Naomi fires at point blank range with her machine gun and hits Jake flat in the chest, the force of the bullets force him to stumble back and before he could regain his balance Naomi ignites her ignition boost and dashes towards him and in one swift motion, Naomi drives her shield forward and smashes it into the facial armour of (Silver Spear). Jackson fights the urge to groan as he is sent flying back and crashes into the dirt, sliding on his back and is left in a cloud of dust.

 _"Oh damn... that hurt."_ Jackson mutters under his voice however there was no time to think about that hit as he spots Naomi jump into the air and attempts to drive the bladed edge of her shield straight into his neck.

 _"OH SHIT!"_ Were the only words in Jakes mind as he reacts with seconds to spare by back flipping his IS right before Naomi could decapitate him, the ground shakes as her shield digs into the ground, and Jackson sees an opening.

Before Naomi could pull her shield out of the gravel and get back onto her feet, she sees the (Silver Spear) closing in on her. She tries to thwart the attacking IS away with her blade but Jackson kicks her blade away and clenches his fist. Without a way to defend herself Naomi was is struck by a fierce right cross from Jackson followed by left jab to the chest that shaves a chunk of her shield energy. Jackson then drives his knee right into the armoured plating of Naomi's lower jaw with such force that she is sent lunging backwards and pulls her shield out of the gravel with her as she lands flat on her back. Taking advantage of this Jackson quickly picks up his blade and attempts to finish her off.

But he was prevented from doing so once again.

At the last moment before he could strike Jackson's Hyper-Sensors suddenly go off but before he had any time to react, his body is shaken as a rain of bullets pepper his back. It was Bella who had landed a well placed sneak attack and was unloading both her twin barrelled MG-42's right into the (Silver Spears) exposed flank, the high rate of fire from both guns rapidly depleting Jackson's shield. In an attempt to save what little shield energy he had left, Jackson turns round to face the incoming fire, crossing and angling his wings in front of his cockpit to deflect as many rounds as he could, but that was a crucial mistake and without warning he is forced down on one knee by Naomi as she slashes into the back of his leg with her blade and before Jake could get back up, Naomi perorates round his IS and back hands him in the face with her shield, the force of the strike causes Jackson to drop his own blade as he stumbles backwards.

"Es ist verwundbar, alle Einheiten ziehen ein. " Shouted Anne over her comms to the other two pilots, the three of them quickly forming up for their final combined strike. Bella took first blood as she charges at the (Silver Spear), Jackson was too slow to defend himself she plants a heavy kick into his gut and knocks him back before she draws her shoutgun and fire a three round burst that hits the IS in the leg, chest and shoulder. Then just as Jackson regains his balance, Bella ducks and Anne jumps overher teammates IS, firing her two fifty millimetre cannons mid-jump she hits the (Silver Spear) before she aims her rifle fires her grenade launcher. Jackson could only cross his arms to shield himself as the grenade hits home, engulfing the (Silver Spear) in a ball of flames and sending knocking it onto its back. Warning screens and red flashing lights surround Jake inside his IS as his shield takes another brutal hit and begins to reach critical levels. He had to get up, he had to get back into the fight, the thought of failing on his first lesson was not an option to him and spurred on by this despite his shield being on its last resorts, Jackson staggers back onto his feet... but he soon found that to be a big mistake.

At the same moment that he looks back at Anne, he sees her backflip into the air and then Naomi, who was running up to her from behind drops down and slides across the gravel on her knees underneath her teammate, and without any warning she punches forward and catches Jake completely off guard when her shield is jettisoned from her gauntlet and flies straight towards him like a lethal Frisbee.

 _"What the HELL!"_ Jackson says internally as he tries to dodge but it was far too late, the shield smacks into his IS's full force, so hard in fact that it embeds itself in the gaps of his armour and the kinetic energy launches him across the grounds and smashes against the blast proof plexiglass that the rest of the division pilots as well as Miss. Orimura was standing behind, the wall of glass shakes as he falls to the gravel floor. With Naomi's shield still stuck in his armour he slumps back against the glass wall, his body aching from head to toe as he struggles to find any energy to get back up. In the corner of his ear he could hear the cheers and praise of the rest of the division girls congratulating their three best pilots in defeating him... the very sound of it sparking a flame in him that urged him to try harder, to get back up and fight... this wasn't over yet... not to him.

He just couldn't afford to lose.

"Hmmm, it seems this drone isn't as capable as it was being made out to be." He then heard Miss. Orimura say, giving her own opinion on the display that he had displayed in front of her.

From inside his IS, Jackson grits his teeth as he scans over the vast number of screens being displayed in front of him to asses his condition and try to get back into the fight... but then he saw the energy level his IS was left with.

WARNING: Shield energy level 1%

"Jackson... we can't keep this up." He hears Tohka say in his ear as she herself works frantically to try and give Jake as much energy as possible to fight, but his reserve level was completely depleted to save him from that last hit he took and left her with nothing anywhere to divert to the main shield.

"I know... I still got fight left in me." Muttered Jackson.

"But you got no shield energy left... those girls just need on bullet to put you down, how are you gonna win this?" Tohka asked, and that's when Jake chuckle quietly.

"This whole time I was trying to think about how I was supposed to win with just my blade... but I now realise what I was really meant to do... I've got a plan Tohka." He quietly says, and that was when Jake uses the last of his strength to raise his arms and grasp the side of the shield that was lodged in his armour, and with a muffled grunt... Jackson pushes the shield out of him and drops it onto the gravel beside him, the sound of it hitting the dirt gains the attention of Naomi, Anna and Bella who all turn to see the (Silver Spear) was still moving.

"Auf keinen Fall kann sich das Ding nach diesem Treffer noch bewegen. " Said Bella as she looks at the downed IS with a surprised expression.

"Es scheint, als wäre es ein Wunder." Huffed Anna, feeling a little annoyed that her teams combination attack hadn't finished the job. Then she notices the (Silver Spear) blade lying in the gravel next to her and a crafty smirk tugs at her lips as she picks up the sword and hands it to Naomi.

"Beende die Aufgabe." She said to her teammate, who smirks back at her in turn as she takes the sword out of her hand.

"Ja..." Naomi said happily as she turns to start slowly walking towards Jake IS as he remains slumped back against the glass wall.

"Jackson... whatever your planning, you better do it now." Tohka said worryingly as she watches Naomi slowly close in to finish Jake off with his own blade... Then Jake whispers something unexpected to her.

"Tohka... reverse the High Frequency blades power setting."

"What? why... if I do that and she hits you with it you're-"

"Tohka... trust me... just do it." Jake whispers to cut her off, adamant that she complies with his order. Tohka wasn't sure about what Jackson was up to, but she did know one thing... but nevertheless she decided to put her trust in whatever madness he was planning and reroutes the power drainage ability on Jackson's blade. Naomi doesn't notice the small purple light near the hilt of the sword she was holding turn red as she stops in front of the IS that rested against the glass wall, with a smug look of victory on her face she raises the (Silver Spear's) blade above her head in both hands and brings it down with all her might.

What happened next... no one was expecting to happen.

At the last possible second before impact, Jackson grabs Naomi's shield that was still lying next to him and pull its in front of him, his own blade smacking into the shield and blocking the attack, then in one swift motion he kick a leg out from under Naomi before she could withdraw and knocks her to her knees where she was met by a steel wrapped fist as Jake strikes her jaw armour.

"What the!" Said the division girls in unison as they watch this sudden turn of events unfold right in front of them.

Stunned by the hit she just took, Naomi was rendered defenceless as Jackson uses a sudden burst of energy to shoot up and wrap the cold steel fingers of his IS around Naomi's neck, forcing her to drop his blade and gasp for air as she is pulled up with him. She stares blankly in shock at the (Silver Spear) as it arched its emotionless face back and drives it into the forehead of her helmet with such force that it cracked the armour plating protecting her. With his opponent dazed and vulnerable Jackson takes full advantage of this and locks an arm with Naomi and spins his entire body with all his strength, lifting the much larger, heavier Fang Quake IS over the (Silver Spear's) shoulder and slamming Naomi into the dirt head first.

"Engagieren!" He suddenly heard Bella shout out and looks up to see that Anna and Bella were about to fire upon him... and that's when Jackson does something very unexpected.

With Naomi's shield still in one hand, Jake plants a foot on her back to keep her pinned the ground as he suddenly reached for her submachine gun that was attached to her leg and rips it out of the holster and fired at Anna right as she launches yet another grenade towards him... a well placed bullet hits the grenade right as Anna fired it and forces it to detonate right in front of her IS and knock her back by the blast, shrapnel peppering her IS and taking a small part of her shield energy off. Bella was able to get a volley of micro missiles off before she was forced back by the blast wave of Anna's grenade going off near her, hoping that would put down the (Silver Spear), but Jake saw them coming with time to spare and raises Naomi's shield to block the attack, hiding him behind a ball of flames as the six micro missiles slam into the side of the shield and detonate away from Jake. Bella loses sight of the (Silver Spear) in the fire, and was caught off guard when Jake spins his body and launches the shield right through the flames and straight at her.

"Scheisse!" Shouted Bella as she tries to dive out of the way however she was a little to slow as the bladed edge of the shield strikes one of her shoulder mounted missile launchers, shattering the coupling mechanism and breaking the launcher off of her IS.

With the two of them distracted by his counter attacks, Jake makes his move to get back into the fight. With Naomi still pinned under his foot reached for his High Frequency blade and drive the point of his weapon into back of the Fang Quake's shield, upon contact a stream purple tinted bolts of electricity wrap around the blade and travel up the (Silver Spear's) arms. The bolts of electricity wrap around Naomi's IS as well and force her cries of pain to echo throughout the grounds as her body jolts uncontrollably from the shock... powerless to escape as her shield energy rapidly depletes.

She had fallen right into the trap that Jackson had set, by letting her believe her opponent was utterly defenceless she had lowered her guard and given Jake that crucial moment he needed to turn the tables. She didn't notice the blade she was planning to finish Jake off with was hiding a power system that proved to be life saving for his situation, by reversing the energy output ability on his blade Jackson could regain all the energy he had lost in the fight by absorbing it from Naomi's shield instead of expending energy to increase the damage his blade could do. He felt his body jolt from the rush of energy being fed into him through the H.F. Blade, feeling his strength returning with every passing second as his own shield and power reserves rapidly charge up.

By the time Bella and Anna were able to get back up and look at the (Silver Spear) it was already to late to rescue their fellow comrade as the last of her shield reserve is completely depleted and her IS is forced to deactivate, taking her out of the fight. Her body ached from the painful shock she was just subjected to and could only roll over onto her back and look up to see the (Silver Pear) towering above her. Jackson steps over his downed opponent as he turns his attention to his remaining two opponents and leaves Naomi to retreat to a safer distance. Anna and Bella look at each other for a moment, seeing the same look of discomfort on each others face as for the first time in this entire engagement they felt a pang of fear shoot through them, unable to come up with an acceptable plan of attack after watching one of their comrades get taken out by an IS they were sure was beaten. Then they turn their attention back to the (Silver Spear) as it returns its blade to the sheaf attached to its back and clacks is iron knuckles, like a cage fighter that was pumped up and ready for round two, Jackson takes a defensive stance and prepares himself for this next engagement.

Now it was his turn.

"Throw everything you have. " Anna said in a panic and trains her rifle onto her target, but Jackson ignited his T82-X Turgon thrusters and rockets towards her so quickly that she had no time to pull the trigger, using the momentum of his dash, Jackson shoulder bashes Anna and knocks her IS down to the gravel. Bella tries to aim her twin MG-42's at the (Silver Spear) but as soon as she fires, Jackson uses his thrusters again in a short burst to jump over the top of the Fang Quake and land behind her. With his quick wits Jackson grabs Bella's shotgun from the back of her IS and fires, raining a storm of rounds all over her as she turns round and crosses her arms to shield herself the best she could, losing shield energy fast as Jake continues to fire.

The shotgun clicks as it runs out of ammunition and Jake reacted quickly before Bella could train her machineguns onto him by tossing the empty gun at her. Bella was forced to catch the weapon and was left open as Jackson propelled himself into the air, flipping his IS to build up energy as he plants his foot into the shoulder of the Fang Quake with a powerful kick that forces Bella into the ground. Jackson land on the gravel but before he had time to think he was suddenly grappled by Anna who had sneaked up behind his IS while he was busy with Bella. Wrapping her arms tightly around the (Silver Spears) neck Anna struggles to keep it pinned as she calls out to Bella.

"Bella, schieß jetzt." She said as she holds the IS in place as Bella quickly gets up and aims both machineguns at Jake's IS. However Jackson was a step ahead and lunges his body forward with so much force that he pulls Anna's IS right over him and lands her in Bella's line of fire right as she shoots, bullets peppering her teammates IS and depleting more of her shield.

"Scheiße!" Said Bella as she quickly stops firing at her comrade, then Jackson spins his IS around and swats Anna out of his way using his wings and charges at Bella. Before she could fire at him, Jake had closed the gap and lands a solid three punch combo into Bella's chest armour followed by a strong uppercut that causes her to stagger back from the blow. His Proximity-Hyper Sensors go off in warning and without looking Jake drives his elbow back and smack's Anna, who was trying to attack him from behind and forces her to retreat before he turns his attention back to Bella. She tried firing at him again but Jackson grabs her arm and forces her machinegun to point at Anna just as it fires, hitting her again with even more bullets. Jackson then kicks Anna's stomach whilst still locking arms with Bella, forcing her back before he uses his immense strength and throws Bella's IS over his and launches her at Anna, causing both IS to collide and topple to the ground. Bella and Anna look back to where the rest of their fellow pilots were watching them, most of them wearing expressions of shock and disbelief that they were watching three of their best being made fools of by a machine, then Bella notices Laura's expression... one of disappointment more than shock... and that sparked a flame of anger in her as she turns back to see the (Silver Spear) reaching for its blade.

"Dieses Mal nicht!" She shouts and with a sudden burst from her thrusters she charges at the gunmetal IS and tackles it to the ground before it could draw its blade. Bella straddles the IS with her own to keep the (Silver Spear) pinned down as she clenches her fist and begins punching down furiously at the IS, determined not to let her commander down and beat this Machine into scrap metal.

Using his armoured gauntlets, Jackson shields his upper body the best he can against Bella's vicious blows, despite most of her punches ricocheting off his angled armour he could see that he was slowly starting to lose shield energy again, but his more immediate problem was getting Bella off of him before Anna could get back into this... Then he looks to his side and sees the mirco missile launcher he severed off of Bella's IS earlier and an idea on how to dispose of her comes to mind as he reacts by grabbing her fist in his as she tires to strike him again, unable to withdraw her hand frim his vice like grip Bella tries to strike with her other hand but Jackson easily catches it as well and lock her in place.

As Bella struggles to break free, she see the four wings of the (Silver Spear) rotate round to point all twelve thrusters directly at her, the bright purple flame from each one glowing brighter as a loud whirring sound begins to fill the air as Jackson charges all his thrusters to maximum output... a look of shock and fear washed over Bella's face as she realises what was about to happen.

 _"Enjoy your flight."_ Jake said in his mind as he ignites all twelve of his T82-X's and blasts Bella with the sheer propulsive force that was directed at her IS... ripping her out of his grasp and blasting her into the air uncontrollably, the force from Jakes thrusters propel him across the ground as well as he makes a dash for the missile launcher, grabbing it as he slides past and takes aim at the large IS that was still rolling uncontrollably in the sky. Jackson forces the firing mechanism to activate and launched the remaining missiles into the air, the six warheads pick up on Bella's IS and make a beeline for her, by the time she had regained control of her unit it was too late to act and her body is rocked violently as the six missiles strike her and engulf the Fang Quake in a ball of flames.

"BELLA!" Screamed Anna as she looks up at the cloud of black smoke and flames above her. She'd seen the whole thing unfold as she was trying to regain control of her unit herself but was too late to aid her in any way, and could only watch as the figure of her teammates IS plummets from beneath the smoke and towards the ground. The impact from the missiles had knocked her out cold and her IS spirals out of control as it crash lands right on top of a Leopard II Main battle tank parked near the grounds, the force of her crash buckling the tanks gun barrel and cripples the turret.

 _"Ohhhhhh... That looked like it hurt."_ Jackson thought to himself as he looks over to Bella, who was now reduced to a tangled mass of limbs sprawled over the top of a busted tank. Her IS is forced to deactivate and she rolls off the tank and hits the ground hard, some of her fellow division mates abandon their observation post and rushed to her aid to make sure she was okay. Looking back to her rival, Anna grits her teeth in anger as she becomes infuriated with the machine and with a last ditch effort she activates her Ignition Boost and charges head on at the (Silver Spear).

"Du Bastard!" She shouts as she fires both her fifty millimetres at the IS, forcing Jackson to use his own thrusters to dart and dodge in all sorts of directions to avoid her persistent fire as the high explosive rounds kick up dust all around the him, the two IS's cross paths and sparks go flying as Anna tries to slash the (Silver Spear) with her bayonet but her attack was blocked as Jake hits the blade with his gauntlet, Anna quickly reverses her thrusters and darts back for another strike, the two Units locked in a series of high speed jousts with each other trying to gain the upper hand... then without warning, Anna launches her last grenade into the ground in front of the two of them before colliding and creates a large dust cloud. Jackson is caught off guard by her as she used the cover of the dust to drop down and connect with the (Silver Spear) with a sweeping kick and forces him to trip forward at high speed and tumble across the ground. He quickly gets back on his feet but as he does he sees Anna charging as fast as she could towards him, leaving him almost no time to react.

Almost...

"DIE!" Anna shouts in fury as she drives her bayonet straight for the head of the (Silver Spear), but a mere second before she it him. Jackson activated his one off ability and with a well timed dodge, Anna could only watch as the (Silver Spear) vanished into thin air as she passes by.

"Huh?!" Was all she could say as she scans the ground frantically for her opponent, but there was no sign of the (Silver Spear). From the safety of the observation post, every girl there was gasping in disbelief as to how the IS had vanished right in front of them, even Miss. Orimura was raising a brow in impressment towards that trick. Anna was still scanning the arena with her Hyper-Sensors for any sign of her opponent but there was nothing... it was like the (Silver Spear) had completely gone.

Or so she thought...

Suddenly without warning her Hyper-Sensor go crazy warning her of something behind her and as soon as she turns around she was met with the blast of Jacksons thrusters sending her flying back and straight into the blast proof glass wall in front of the rest of the division. Anna is stunned by the impact and could only look to see the (Silver Spear) draw its blade once more and charge in at rapid speed, looking as if it was attempting to skewer her to the wall. Anna could only raise her arms to shield herself as she panics, frozen in place as Jake drives his blade forth... however at the last possible second, he shifts his aim and deliberately misses her, instead skewering his blade through the blast proof Plexi-Glass wall. The rest of the division girls were startled by this, most of them trying to back away and toppling over each other as the tip of the blade stop a few feet from where they were last standing. Anna took a second to glance over at the razor sharp edge of the sword that was ever so close to her neck, then looks back at the emotionless face of the (Silver Spear) with a speechless expression as it backs away, leaving its blade embedded in the wall next to her. With the knowing that had this been a real fight she may not have been so lucky to live overwhelming her mind, Anna drops to the ground as her IS deactivates and leaves her hunched back against the wall looking up at her victor.

Jackson looks down at his last opponent as he reached out and pulls his blade out of the wall and returns it to his sheaf.

"Well done (Silver Spear)."

Jackson turns to see Miss. Orimura approaching him, giving him a small round of applaud for his effort.

"It seemed is was mistaken... it looks like you're a more capable machine than I thought." Said Miss. Orimura, gaining a nod of gratitude from Jake inside his IS.

"That'll conclude your first lesson for today, for now I would like you to return to your designated hanger and I will go over the data after I hand over the division for the rest of the day, understood." Miss. Orimura ordered and Jackson complies as he begins to walk his IS in he direction of his hanger. Glancing to his side he could see that all of the rest of the division girls were staring straight at his IS, some of them looking impressed with his display of quick wits, durability and combat skills... most frowning at him. To them, they didn't seem to think it was fair that the (Silver Spear) was deemed the winner of the exercise and didn't agree with Miss. Orimura's conclusion, but none of them wanted to step up and challenge her authority.

Apart from one brave and bold silver haired girl.

"Mentor ... wie ist das fair zu sagen, dass diese Maschine gewonnen hat ... sie hat eindeutig betrogen. " Laura suddenly protested, causing both Miss. Orimura and the (Silver Spear) to turn back and face her.

"Oh, how so Miss. Bodewig?" Miss. Orimura asked as she folds her arms at Laura.

"Du hast es angewiesen, keine Fernkampfwaffen zu benutzen, und es hat eindeutig ... es hat meine Kameraden-Waffen gegen sie eingesetzt. " Laura said in anger, most of her division mates agreeing and backing her up. They all heard her say that the (Silver Spear) only allowed to use its blade in the fight, yet they saw it clear as day that it used nearly every gun or launcher that Anna, Bella and Naomi had against them. And that was when they saw Miss. Orimura sigh at the group.

"I know... and that was the point of the exercise, to test how smart (Silver Spears) A.I. is."

"Huh?" Most of the group said in unison, confused by what Miss. Orimura was getting at... until she explains her reason as to why Jake didn't fail.

"I may have said that (Silver Spear) wasn't allowed to use its ranged weapons... but I never said anything about it using its opponents ones."

Laura and her friends took a second to process what Miss. Orimura had just said, mouths wide open in shock... none of them had thought about that as a concept, then they al turn to look at the (Silver Spear) unable to believe a machine could have been that smart enough to figure something like that out when they couldn't.

It was just simply impossible to them.

"Let me get something clear to all of you... I alone decide whether this IS breaks the rules, so before you step out of line like this again... take a second to think before doing so." Miss. Orimura said sternly to the group before she turns away and leaves them with the rest of the instructors for the remainder of their training. Jackson turns back as well to follow his instructor to the hanger... however despite having his back turned to them, he could feel the cold and intensive glares of all the girls drilling through him as he walks off to his hanger to be debriefed for the day.

The first day of training may have been a challenge... but deep down he knew it was only going to be an uphill struggle from here on after that display he showed the division.


	22. Laura's Past: Part 2

Jackson stands under the shower head as the hot water pours down onto him. The steam being produced by his shower masked his naked form behind the glass door to a skin coloured blur as he groans quietly from his body aching in pain as he carefully washes himself off after another gruelling day of training with the German IS division, looking down at his body to see a number of bruises that peppered his arms and upper torso.

"Another tough day comes to an end." He sighs as he gently lathers his bruised form in suds.

It had been five weeks since he transferred to Germany and every day seemed to become a more difficult challenge than the last for him. Ever since his first lesson where he was faced with three of Schwartzer Haze's best pilots, he had been pressured to show the same level of skill and ruggedness that he displayed that day every time he stepped onto the training grounds. Both him and his IS had been put through their paces from the start, contributing in a series of tough and gruelling challenges whether it was a straight up brawl between him and another member of the division, which he had been able to win just barely by the skin of his teeth seeing that ever since he defeated Naomi, Anna and Bella every other member of the division had gotten into the mindset that they could not allow a machine to prove stronger than the rest of them and had become inspired by that thought to push Jackson harder to overcome them. Or a challenging and mind stretching team built exercise that involved him being teamed up with a small group of the division girls against the remainder of them in games like capture the flag or team domination.

However, not all was bad... although it was tough at the start he had slowly began to earn the favours and respect of most of the division, mainly because of the advantage he gave them in team exercises, using his IS's clearly more advanced technology and his quick wits in tough situations to help his team snatch victory from the jaws of defeat and even go far enough to gain the nickname from some of the girls (Silver Angel).

Although... there was one girl in the division that still kept the same negative opinion on him to this day.

The division's tough as nails and stubborn as all Hell leader... Laura Bodewig.

Jackson sigs as he recalls every time he had to face her in the team exercise, and looks down at his bruised chest... every mark a reminder of her hostility. He remembers Miss. Orimura warning him after his first lesson that he needed to be wary of her after catching her attention after the display he made of three of her best pilots and at first thought it wasn't all that bad of a thing. However he soon found that to be far from true when constantly became her primary target in nearly every exercise and made it damn near impossible for him to get his objective completed with having to engage her. Today was especially painful as he wonders how he survived a direct from her Personal IS's high calibre railgun and still managed to pull his team to victory.

A few minutes later after finishing his shower, Jackson walks out with his towel round his waist and goes to his locker to get changed, when suddenly he hears the distinctive hiss as the shower room doors open and the faint sound of footsteps enter the room.

"Oh shit... someone's here." He mutters as he quickly grabs his clothes and retreats behind another set of lockers near the end of the room and waits for whoever it was in here to enter the showers so he could get away... However when he hears two different voices in the distance he surprised to recognise one of them.

"I can't believe we let that Machine beat us again... this is a disgrace to our units name, we'll have to train harder." He hears a familiar voice say in a disgruntled tone, and Jake swallows dryly as he knew exactly who it was.

"Laura... huh, I didn't know you could speak English as well." Jake said quietly to himself as he remains hidden behind the lockers. Laura and her second in command, Anna had come in after excessive training after the last team exercise they'd had against Jackson, and it sounded pretty clear she was disappointed with the result of it.

"I can assure we are trying our best, Captain." Said Anna as she casually began to undress herself from piloting suit. "But it just seems that (Silver Spear) has a counter measure for every offensive we throw at it."

Laura simply huffs at her second in command as she starts shedding herself of her dirtied and battle stained clothes.

"There's no way one machine could be smarter and tougher than all of us... I swear if I lose one more time to that thing, I'm demanding a personal match with it... then I'll show everyone what a real pilot can do compared to some American built pile of scrap metal." She said venomously as she puts her suit in the locker and moves to shed herself of her underwear.

"Scrap metal..." Jackson huffs under his breath, feeling a little annoyed by that considering how much of an insult towards the hard work and effort that Sabrina had put into building (Storm Ghost). He continues to listen in on the two unsuspecting German pilots as they continues their conversation with each other.

"Ha... now I'd love to see you put that thing in its place, but you know Mentor Orimura won't allow that." Huffs Anna, knowing that her leaders wish would more than likely be thwarted by Miss. Orimura seeing that she was the on in charge of (Silver Spear's) safe keeping, and given that Laura would rather prefer to destroy the IS rather than just beat it... it was unlikely that Mentor Orimura would grant her such a wish. Knowing this as well Laura just sighs to herself.

"I already know that myself... I can't believe Mentor is being this way, its like she's protecting that thing from me." She huffs as she places her underwear in the locker and wraps a towel around her naked form.

"I wouldn't say she's protecting the (Silver Spear), Laura... I see it more like if we want to beat it... we have to figure it out for our selves fairly... besides, what can we do when it only comes out for training... after that its locked away in hanger four and stays their under tight guard till the next day." Anna said as she puts her own towel around her. Laura took a second to think about what she had just said and ponders the thought... then Anna notices that tell tale look on her face she gets when she's thinking of something outside of the box.

"Captain... what are you thinking of." She asked out of curiosity.

"There is one way we could find a weakness to the (Silver Spear)." Laura said as she gets an idea, and unknowingly to her... an eavesdropping pilot was listening in on her plan, both him and her second in command quietly saying the same thing.

"What are up to, Laura?"

"We won't find an effective weakness on the (Silver Spear) at this rate... so I'm gonna find out for myself... tonight." Laura said firmly, causing Anna and unseen to them, Jackson to go wide eyed at the thought of what both of them realised what she was implying to do.

"Laura... are you crazy." Anna protests to her superior. "The (Silver Spear) is under heavy guard every night its locked away and its near impossible to break into that hanger."

"Not for me... I know those hanger designs well, there's a way in through the ventilation systems... once I'm in, I'll look up its specs on the computers storing its data in the hanger and study the IS to locate any weak spots I find." Laura said, her expression showing nothing but stubborn determination... she was being as serious as ever about this and Anna just shakes her head at her.

"And what if you get caught... if Mentor Orimura finds out you broke into the hanger and looked at classified data on a foreign IS under her guard... the punishment could be exemplary." Anna said, trying her level best to prevent her commander and life long friend from making a big mistake that wasn't worth the risk. Jackson on the other hand was at a loss for words, just how ballsy was this girl... willing to play a risk like that to gain an upper hand for herself and her allies. He shakes his head at the thought of how insane Laura must be to even consider an idea like that, it was mad, it was downright insanity... it...

It reminded him of himself in a way... and for that, he couldn't help but come to have a sense of respect for her. His thoughts however were cut of as he hears Laura speaking again.

"It's a risk I'm wiling to take to allow my allies a way to put this machine in its place once and for all." She said as she walks past Anna and heads towards the showers, but not before she turns back over her shoulder to look at Anna.

"I'm relying on you Anna... I need you to cover me while I'm gone to ensure no one is aware of this task."

Anna remained still for a moment, realising that this indeed was happening... but she'd known Laura longer than most of the other pilots, and one thing she knew well about her commander... was that when she set out to do something... she would not stop until it was done. Anna sighs quietly as she looks at Laura and nods to her superior.

"Okay... I got your back Laura... just be careful out there." She asked of her, and Laura give her a small smile.

"Aren't I always... come on, let get cleaned up before the mess hall opens." Laura said as she makes her way into the shower block, swiftly followed by Anna. A few minutes pass and the shower blocks are filled with hot steam as the two girls go about washing themselves off after a long day, unknowingly to them that a certain Texan had gotten changed and uses the cover of the steam to mask his escape from the shower room. Jackson makes his way back to his quarters and begins pacing back and forth across the room, thinking heavily about what he had discovered in the shower room.

"So... you're going to sneak into my hanger looking for a weakness on my IS." He said to himself as he goes over the facts. He couldn't just stay here and let Laura do this, if she went into that hanger and saw that there was no IS in there she was instantly going to be raising questions and more than likely figure out that there was no unmanned IS but in fact a piloted one being worn on someone in the base... and if that happens, moving about without being spotted would become near impossible with the division on high alert for anyone they didn't recognise here. A few minutes pass by as he racks his brain for an idea, when the wires connect and sparks a plan that might not only just save his beacon... but maybe give him some insight on helping turn Laura's hostile nature towards his IS around. Jackson looks at his watch and assumes he had plenty of time to get his plan set as he grabs his piloting suit and dashed out of his room.

His destination... IS Hanger Number: 4

Making sure to stay clear of the area's of the base where he knew he would be spotted, Jackson makes his way to the entrance of the hanger, timing his movement perfectly he slips between the patrol tanks and jeeps and uses his access code to enter the hanger. It was vast, dark and mostly empty apart from a military loading truck that was stationed behind the vast array of super computers and data modules that it had transported into the base. Jackson slowly walks up to the computers and takes a second to look over them, making sure nothing was out of place... for they were the heart of (Storm Ghosts) progress... everything he had collected from every gruelling task he'd gone through in training was stored on these modules, months of blood sweat and effort had gone into collecting this data... and he was more than sure this was going to be Laura's primary target.

After assessing the surrounding, Jackson lays his trap and activates his IS... remaining as quiet as he could as not to alert the outside patrols he climbs his IS onto the back of the flatbed truck and takes a deactivated pose, curling his IS up and wrapping his arms and wing around himself as he now sits in wait.

Twenty minutes pass and their was no sign or sound of anything out of the ordinary as Jake monitors the premises using his Hyper-Sensor like a sonar... when suddenly... he picks up the faintest of movement from above him... causing him to smirk as he locates the source was in the ventilation ducts on the roof of the hanger.

"Right on time." Jake quietly said as he peers up ever so slightly to see one of the vent hatches drop open and a long black rope descends from the vent and sure enough, he spots Laura as she rappels down the rope and lands silently of the hanger flow. She was dressed in a jet black military special forces uniform that she used for night operations and was armed with a silenced G36-C assault rifle and SIG P210-4 handgun that was also fitted with a suppressor attached to her waist. Laura scans the hanger to make sure she was alone, then turns to look at the (Sliver Spear) sitting on the back of the flatbed... squinting her head as she sees the position it was in.

"Huh, strange." She said as she approached the IS's data computers and modules while still keeping her eye on it. "It looks like a frightened child waiting for its mother sitting like that."

Laura doesn't care to think that much about the position the IS was in... all that mattered to her was getting the information she needed from its data store. Reaching into her pocket Laura pulls out a small flash drive and plugs it into the computer, causing the screens to light up as she begins working on hacking the data system to gain access to the (Silver Spears) Specs.

And that was the very moment Jackson uses to spring his trap.

Without warning Laura is startled as she sees the head of the (Silver Spear) move and stare directly at her and freezes her on the spot.

"Oh shit!?." Laura stutters as she soon realises the IS is active and awake. The sound of metal components shifting and power servers changing up echo throughout the hanger as the (Silver Spear) unfolds its wings and stands up on the back of the truck and gives off a mechanised growl that sent a shiver right down Laura's spine as she cried out in fear before she tries to retreat by running back to her rope and escape, but the IS was wise to her move and as she starts climbing the rope the (Silver Spear) jumps off the truck using its thrusters and in one swift motion it draws its blade and slices through the rope as it flies by and forced Laura to fall to the ground hard as the IS lands on the ground and glares at her. In sheer fear and desperation, Laura grabs her G36-C and fires at the (Silver Spear). Bullets ricocheted off the armoured plating on Jakes body and he didn't even bother to block any of them seeing as that their was no way Laura's attack would put a dent in his shield and he continues to slowly step closer to her, adding to his intimidation. Laura's rifle runs out of ammunition and she resorts to her pistol, aiming and the head of the IS, but the rounds harmlessly bounce off the steel plated face of the (Silver Spear) until she was out of ammo completely. Laura gazes up in shock at the metal monster as it closes in on her, causing her to scuttle across the hanger floor to try and back away from the IS, until she feels her back slam against the side of the computer modules and trap her, leaving her no place to go as the (Silver Spear) stops right in front of her.

Laura swallows dryly as she looks up at the IS, her heart pounding against her chest as she fears what this machine was going to do to her for trying to mess with its data computer. But the (Silver Spear) just stood there in front of her, not moving to harm her or anything like that... just looking down at her frightened expression.

"Well... go on then, harm your defenceless opponent." Laura said firmly, asking the IS to stop taunting her and just get whatever it was planning over with... but the (Silver Spear) just tilts its head at her, looking to more curious than angered by her presence... and inside the IS, Jackson was starting to become curious himself as he looks down at Laura, taken in by this side to her that he had not seen at any point since he arrived in Germany.

"She's scared..." He quietly mutters to himself. He was finding it hard to believe that someone as strong and determined as Laura could show such a timid side to her... but he could see it clear as day as she keeps herself pressed against the module behind her... She was scared of the IS, and that urged him to try and help ease her a little.

Laura watches as the (Silver Spear) slowly drop down onto one knee and carefully holds a hand out to her.

"Huh?" was all Laura could say as she stares blankly at the IS's hand, the (Silver Spear) glanced at its hand and back to her, prompting her to take it... and sure enough, Laura very cautiously reached up and wraps a hand round one of the IS's fingers and Jake gently helps pull her back up onto her feet. Laura stands there quietly as the (Silver Spear) then sits itself down in front of her with its legs crossed and looks at her, as if the machine was curious about her being here. She tilts her head in confusion at the IS and it copies her, tilting its own head in unison with her. Jackson was playing to his cover, acting as if the (Silver Spear) was just shadowing Laura and learning how to move from her and causes her to become curious of the machine.

"D-Do you understand me?" Asked Laura, and the IS silently nods at her.

"Can you speak?" She then asked of the (Silver Spear) and caused Jackson to mutter something under his breath to his virtual co-pilot.

 _"Tohka... Activate your verbal distortion module."_

After a few moments of silence Laura heard a faint electronic buzz pass through the IS... followed by a cyberised female voice.

"Hello... Laura Bodewig." Said the (Silver Spear) causing Laura to go wide eyed in disbelief.

"Y-You know my name." She stutters, gaining a nod from the IS.

"That is correct... I've been paying attention to the names of the pilots I have been around."

For the next half an hour Laura found herself engaged in a series of conversations with the IS, like who it was, what it was doing here and why it was built... Using Tohka's voice to mask his own and remain hidden Jackson carefully goes over as much information as he was able to freely give, intriguing Laura with every word he spoke as he briefly educated her. She learnt that the (Silver Spear) was actually a project that was funded by the U.S. Government and not owned by it but in fact owned by a P.M.C that wanted to create a new generation of defence IS Units to protect the civilian population other nations contracted with the P.M.C from terror threats and leave the more offensive work to the pilots themselves. From there learned that the reason that the (Silver Spear) was sent specifically to train within her division because the owner of the P.M.C wanted his machine to be trained by both the best instructor that could be found and tested by the best pilots that existed, something that Laura actually took a bit of pride in despite being defeated by this machine numerous time, the fact that it was being tested by those considered to be the best in the world made her feel a little better about the whole thing... and as time slowly passed on she began to feel her hatred towards this machine slowly fade away come to find a mutual sense of respect in the (Silver Spear), something Jackson smile at as he wraps up his brief lecture with her.

"So you see... I wasn't built replace the human pilot, Laura." Said the (Silver Spear). "I was built to protect those held dear to them, like their families and friends... to make them feel at rest that something is protecting them while they take the fight to those that aim to harm who is held closest to their hearts."

Laura leans back against the computer modules, taken in by what she was learning... it was amazing for her hear a machine talk so passionately about its purpose... Like a human would do so, it almost fooled her into believing that there really was someone behind that steel face of the IS.

"And to think... I've spent so many weeks trying to destroy you." She mumbles as she hangs her head down, feeling a little guilty that in reality she was trying to destroy something being made for a greater reason. However she hears the (Silver Spear) chuckle as it places a metallic finger under her chin and brings her to look back up at it.

"Don't blame yourself for that... if anything by not holding back, you taught me how to be a better fighter... something I thank you for." Jackson said reassuringly, watching as Laura replies to the IS with a warm smile. He could have stayed here all night with her, despite her not knowing the truth about him inside the IS he had found a way to comfortably talk to her and learn a little bit about her that he never could have out in the fields... but such a thing couldn't last, he knew both him and Laura needed to go their separate ways for tonight and be ready for the next day of training.

"You should go now." Jackson said to Laura, causing her to sigh a little as she herself didn't want to leave just yet. "If you got caught in here, you could be in a real mess."

Laura sighs to herself, then looked at the (Silver Spear) as she points at the ceiling of the hanger.

"That might be a tougher task than anticipated... considering you severed my escape rope." She said, causing Jackson to look back and see that her rope had indeed been cut way too high up for her to reach, but a smile tugs at his lips as he gets an idea.

"I can take care of that." He said as he carefully scoops Laura in the arms of his IS and carried her like a princess up to the service vent she entered the hanger through and helps her climb back into the air ducts.

However there was one more thing Jake wanted to ask.

"Can I ask you something?" Laura hears the (Silver Spear) say before she could depart and causes her to turn back and look at the IS as it hovers bellow her.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Can I personally partner up with you tomorrow." Asked Jake, causing Laura to go wide eyed at the question.

"M-Me... why?" She said in confusion.

"We've spent so many weeks fighting each other, and I have been learning to fight opponents as powerful as you... I want to learn to fight with allies as powerful as you... do you think you could grant me that, I feel this is the only time I could ask." Jackson Asked of the silver haired girl. Laura took a second to ponder the thought, in honesty feeling rather surprised that this machine was wanting to pick her as a partner... but it didn't take her long to look back at the (Silver Spear) with a smile as she said.

"Sure... I'll see what I can do to make that happen."

Jake smiles at Laura through his IS as he nods to her, and with that said and done the two of them go their separate ways and retire for the night... both of them awash with the thoughts of what they had learned from each other and looking forward to the next day of training.

Little did either of them know... that on that day... thing were about to take a turn that would change their lives.

Forever...

The next day Laura was standing to attention with the rest of her division, smiling a little as she looks forward at the (Silver Spear) in hopes that she could grant the request it asked of her last night. Inside his IS, Jake was feeling brighter than usual as he feels a smile tug his lips as he looks back to Laura... feeling a sense of goodness in himself to see her smiling. A few moments later Miss. Orimura arrives with her tablet in hand, however the girls noticed that her expression was carrying a sense of frustration in it, almost as if something was bothering her.

"Girls... there has been a change in plans... today we won't be training the (Silver Spear)." She said as she pinches the bridge of her nose in frustration, and within seconds every girl in the division became wide eyed and shocked at what they heard, especially Laura and Jake... Neither of them able to understand why such an order was happening.

"Mentor... why is this happening?" Laura asked Miss. Orimura... however her question was cut off when an armoured A.P.C being followed by a large Semi-truck pulls up and parks behind her, and she sighs heavily as she points a thumb over at her shoulder at the truck.

"That's why." She huffed.

Jackson turns his head back to see the back of the A.P.C open up and was surprised when he saw a small squadron of U.S. Marine soldiers exit the vehicle and stand guard outside.

"What... Why are there more American's here?" He questioned in his head, then a man dressed in a black suit and smoking a cigar exits the vehicle followed by a woman carrying a laptop, the man glances up at Jackson in his IS then sees Miss. Orimura and makes his way over to her.

"These the test pilots?" He said as he puffs out a cloud of smoke, pointing his cigar at Laura's division.

"Yes... this is them." Miss. Orimura said as she folds her arms.

From inside his IS, Jackson was racking his brain to try and figure out who these people were and why they were here, as was the rest of the division... there was no information ahead of another foreign group working in Schwartzer Haze, and just like him the rest of the division were trying to understand what this change in events was for.

"Mentor... what exactly are these people here for." Laura asked, but before she could answer, Miss. Orimura was cut off when the man in the suit smiles and claps his hands together.

"I'm glad you asked little girl, allow me to explain." The man said enthusiastically, causing all heads to turn in his direction and listen carefully. "I'm to see that you all have been coping well against our prototype IS the (Silver Spear), and I'm happy to announce to all of you that our finished variant the (Cyclone Fury) model is here and ready to best tested."

In an instant Jake goes wide eye and turns his head to look down at Miss. Orimura and the man standing next to her. He couldn't believe what he as hearing... there was no way what that man was saying was the truth... The (Silver Spear) just a cover up story to allow (Storm Ghost) to be used within the Base and now he was listening to some complete stranger that he had never seen before lie in front of everyone that his IS was his property and that a so called finished variant of it was here to be tested by the division he had been training along side with for the last five week. Nothing made any sense to him and neither did it to the rest of the girls, so Laura decided to find out for sure if this was true.

"What do you mean by... a finished variant?" She asked the man, who gives her a somewhat crafty smile.

"The (Silver Spear) was a testing model used to put experimental technology through controlled paces before transplanting it to more capable IS units... in this case, the advanced A.I. unit its fitted with... and seeing that these tests have been more than promising, we have designed a more adaptable version into the (Cyclone Fury) MK1,2,3 and 4 and brought them here to see how the new A.I. works against competent opponents." He said, sounding rather proud about the achievement.

The rest of the division, including Jake were now even more stunned by what all of them heard... MK1,2,3 and 4... are they trying to say, there's four unmanned IS's here? Their assumptions were confirmed when the side of the truck behind them slides open and reveals four IS units in standby mode inside the trailer, and with a quick click of a button from the assistant carrying her laptop, the four IS's emit a radiant blue glow as they power up and step out of the truck. Jackson was stunned by the sight of these Units, they almost looked just like (Storm Ghost)... apart from the difference being the weapons they were armed with. The Mk1 was armed with a similar H.F. blade as his but was fitted with a shoulder mounted missile launcher and a high calibre shotgun on its back. The MK2 and MK3 were fitted with a seven barrelled arm mounted Gatling guns and two shoulder mounted sixty millimetre automatic grenade launchers. However the MK4 was the most threatening looking of them all as it was armed with an M-103 Flame thrower that split into two nozzles attached to its hands.

"Mentor... is this really happening." Asked Laura, drawing everyone's attention away from the four drones that stood before them. Miss. Orimura turns back to look at her shocked expression and could only sigh heavily as she spoke.

"Yes Laura... this is happening." She said with a heavy tone as she turns to look up at Jake inside of his IS. "(Silver Spear)... (Sigh), return to your hanger... you won't be participating in this exercise."

Jackson stood there for a second, unable to believe what he was being told to do... but he didn't want to challenge Miss. Orimura's order... and with a heavy heart, Luara watches as the IS she was hopping to work along side with today slowly turns and begins to walk away... But in the corner of his ear, Jackson hears the man in charge of this situation saying something.

"I'm sure you girls will be happy to face a real IS... instead of that second hand pile of scrap you've been stuck with so far." He chuckles smugly.

Jackson freezes on the spot after he processes what he just heard and grits his teeth, angered by the insult he was hearing from the mouth of this liar he begins to feel his blood boil and without warning, everyone is startled as the (Silver Spear) draws its High Frequency blade and turns around aggressively, pointing the blade a few mere inches from the man in the suit... causing him to jump back in shock himself as a mild panic spreads across the yard.

"(SPEAR)! STAND DOWN!" Shouted Miss. Orimura, demanding the IS withdraws its aggressive behaviour instantly... but the IS never listened to her, instead it growls as small bolts of lightning sprout from the edge of its blade and driving more fear into the man it was being pointed at.

The assistant uses you own instinctive and sends a command to the (Cyclone Fury) drones and in an instant... Jackson finds himself being held at gunpoint by all four Units.

"(Spear)... stand down right now, that's an order." Miss. Orimura snaps as she steps between the IS and the man it was threatening, most of the division girls holding their breath in suspense, most of them admiring the bravery of their Instructor for show no fear against the angry looking IS... The (Silver Spear) snarls as it unwillingly withdraws it blade and returns it to its sheaf, most of the division sighing in relief that it looked like Miss. Orimura had gotten it back under control.

"Get back to your hanger (Spear)... I'll deal with you later." Miss. Orimura orders firmly to the IS, gaining one last metallic growl as it finally turns back and makes its way back to its hanger.

"I apologies for that." Miss. Orimura said as she turns back to the man, who was straightening out his coat after being shook up by the (Silver Spear).

"I'm afraid that is the one problem we have with that IS." Said as he takes another draw of his cigar and looks at the (Silver Spear) as it disappears inside the cover of its hanger. "It just doesn't want to accept the fact that its second hand junk compared to its newly developed followers."

Laura remained quiet as she listened to the way the man was speaking about the IS she had started to come to like... feeling insulted herself that this man was basically saying that her time was being wasted for nothing and now she had to start from scratch again with new machines she wasn't really bothered with wanting to deal with. But nevertheless, Miss. Orimura passes her division onto the other instructors and leaves this exercise in the hands of them as she departs to deal an angered Jackson.

"Well now." Said the suited man, smirking as he claps his hands together. "Lets get this show started shall we."

After leaving the hanger, Jackson storms back to his quarters in anger and slams the door behind him.

"FUCK!" He shouts as he slams his fist against the wall and leaves a faint dent in it. He was infuriated with what had just happened, how a group of unknown American's could just waltz in and disrupt his training as if it was nothing... not just that, the man that insulted his IS seemed to be feeling rather smug about it which only added more fuel to his fire... and to make things worse, under strict order of Miss. Orimura, he and to leave his IS in deployed standby mode and was now sitting in the hanger under heavy guard. Nothing made any sense to him, who were these people? What were they doing here? How did they know about his cover up story? But what bothered him the most... was what the heck were they planning with those IS drones they had brought into the base. After putting on a medical eyepatch to cover the eye his IS was usually doing, he begins pacing the floor of his room as those thoughts contemplate in his mind, when his train of thought was disrupted by the sound of his door opening behind him. Jackson turns back and sighs heavily as sees that it was Miss. Orimura that had come in, looking rather disgruntled with him as she walks up to him in silence.

"Ma'am... first off I'd like to apologi-"

(SMACK!)

A sharp clapping sound echo's throughout the small room and Jackson staggers back as Miss. Orimura slaps him firmly across the side of his face.

"Are you out of your mind, Jackson?" She snaps in anger at the young boy. "Do you have any idea what sort of trouble you nearly caused if you'd of hurt that guy?"

Jackson grits his teeth and fights the urge to argue back furiously as he cups his cheek in his hand, still feeling the intense sting of Miss. Orimura's slap... more than sure she will have left a red mark on him.

"Well, do you?" Miss. Orimura asked again, demanding an answer from Jackson, causing him to furrow his brows in anger towards her... unable to believe she was acting as if he was completely in the wrong her for his actions and bypassing the fact that something was definitely not right regarding this whole situation.

"Miss. Orimura... do not tell me you are buying this crap." He snaps, gaining a frustrated look from his mentor.

"Don't get snappy with me, kid... now answer my question." She demanded.

"Not until you tell me who the hell those people are and why there here." Jackson demanded himself as he points an accusing finger at Miss. Orimura, causing her to pause for a second in surprise... unsure if Jake was brave or downright stupid to challenge her in such a way. And after a brief second of silence she sighs as she folds her arms at Jackson.

"They are here to test another model of unmanned IS units developed by FEISAR. Inc. and were using your cover story as there's as well to make out that these units are predecessors of the (Storm Ghost)." Said Miss. Orimura as she explains what she was told by her superiors regarding these new arrivals... and in the mere seconds it took for him to process what she said, Jackson goes wide eyed and feels his stomach drop.

"That's... That's impossible." He mutters to himself as he turns away from Miss. Orimura and runs his fingers through his hair in frustration as she walks to look out of his window to see that the exercise outside between Laura's division and these drones had already begun in the form of Naomi going one on one with the MK4 (Cyclone fury).

"They have been granted access using the same terms and agreements that FEISAR incorporated to get you into this complex... and they are fully aware of you being here and what your cover story was in order to plan an acceptable reason to bring in these new Units, Jake." He hears Miss Orimura say outside of the cloud enveloping his mind, only causing him to become even more worried and confused about this whole ordeal. Then he hears Miss. Orimura start to step closer to him.

"This is probably something that you were unaware of from the start... but that being said, you can't just go showing levels of hostility towards members of the company you plan to work wi-."

"BULLSHIT!" Jackson suddenly snaps to silence Miss. Orimura as he turns around to face her. "That is complete and utter Bullshit Miss... Whoever that guy out there is, he's lying."

"Huh... and what do you mean by that." Miss. Orimura asked as she folds her arms at Jake, interested to hear what sort of an answer he had to back up such an accusation... however what Jake was about to say next shook her to her foundations.

"FEISAR Inc. doesn't have an Unmanned IS program Ma'am... in fact, they are strictly against the entire concept of giving something as powerful as the Infinite Stratos a mind of its own." Jake said confidently, and for the first time in this heated argument... Miss. Orimura staggers and her stern and angered expression shifted into one of confusion and discomfort.

"Jackson... what exactly are you talking about." She asked him, now wanting to learn more from Jackson about what he seemed to know, that she clearly didn't.

"Listen... The I-S-X-C-S, the IS program that I am a key part of is the soul project of FEISAR's involvement with the entire IS program... they dedicated every asset they had into this and I am personal friends with head scientist that is in charge of all research and development of IS technology with the company... and not once, in all the months I have been there working along side her... not once was anything about even considering to develop an unmanned unit was mentioned." Jackson said, filling Miss. Orimura in on everything he knew about what he'd learned in his time working inside FEISAR Inc... Then he turns back to look out the window and spots the suited man that was proclaiming to be a part of the company, watching as his precious drone battles Naomi on the grounds with his arms folded and looking rather pleased with the display he was witnessing.

"I have never seen that man before in FEISAR... Which is why I'm worried Ma'am..." Jackson said as he learns against he glass pane and glares at the suited man. "How the Hell does someone that has nothing to do with the company I work with know so much about it, and its most heavily guarded IS programs."

Miss. Orimura stands there in silence, feeling awash with questions about what she assumingly thought was a legitimate and valid situation... but after listening to Jackson talk from his perspective as an associate from FEISAR, and hearing how confident in his assumptions he was and how worried it was clearly making him, she had started to find herself having second thoughts about whether this whole thing was really as legitimate as she had been told. When she was informed about this whole thing happening late last night by her superiors... she even had to admit to herself that the information behind it was spars and if anything the bare minimal amount needed to convince her... and now after hearing Jacksons point of view on the whole thing she was starting to come up with alternative reasons as to how this group might have gotten into Schwartzer Haze.

"Are you suggesting that these people may have possibly forged their way in to test these drones against Laura's division?" She asked Jackson as she herself steps forward and stands next to him and look out the window to see the fight between one of her students and the drone continue.

"I don't know... Possibly, but I do know one thing Miss. Orimura." Jackson said as he turns to meet eyes with her. "Whatever reason they are here... it isn't under FEISAR's instruction... but it is happening under their name."

"And what could possibly be gained from such an act?" Asked Miss. Orimura, but only to be replied with by a heavy sigh from Jake.

"I don't know." He said as he shakes his head and leans back against the window. "Whatever it is... I have a bad feeling that it can't be good."

As they try to figure out what was really going on here, both of them continue to watch the fight between Naomi and the MK4 (Cyclone Fury) from the hidden distance of Jakes room as the event unfolds.

Naomi fires a bust from her machineguns and hits the drone, causing it to stagger and leave it open for what she believed was the perfect moment to strike. Gripping her blade tightly in her hand she activates her ignition boost and charges straight at the (Cyclone Fury) MK4, aiming to skewer the drones chest with her weapon. The (Cyclone Fury) sees her closing in fast and reacts by firing its flamethrowers at the ground and masking itself behind a wall of fire, unhindered by this Naomi charges through the flames... but as soon as she comes out the other side... the drone had vanished from sight. Naomi quickly checks her hyper-sensors, but it was too late to react as she picks up the drone right behind her. The (Cyclone Fury) grasps her arm tightly in its iron claws and throws her IS over its shoulder and slams her into the ground, stunned by the drones counter attack Naomi rolls over... only to be pinned as she feels the crushing weight of the (Cyclone Fury's) foot come crashing down on her chest armour. Winded badly by this, she looks up to she the unmanned IS stare blankly down at her as it points one of its M-103 Flamethrowers directly at her, causing her to swallow dryly as she sees how low her shield energy was after fighting.

"Okay... Okay." She said calmly as she slowly lets go of her weapons and shows her hands to the drone. "You win this one."

The man claps to the two IS's in applaud, clearly pleased with the result his drone had brought, he turns to his assistant.

"That's enough for the MK4... Call it off." He said, ordering her to withdraw the drone... however, what no one knew that in that sentence was a hidden message that was about to become the catalyst to spark a terrible event. As the assistant sends her command to the drone, her expression suddenly shifts to a worried expression as she stares at her screen.

"Somethings wrong." She suddenly said, gaining the attention of everyone around her as she starts typing furiously into the laptop.

"What do you mean?" The suited man said as she looks back at the drone and sees it begin to twitch violently, as if it was trying to resist the commands his assistant was sending it.

"The MK4 isn't responding... somethings blocking my commands reaching it." Said the woman as she begins to shake, trying to regain control of the (Cyclone Fury)... but nothing was working. By now, Laura along with the rest of her division was starting to worry for Naomi, who was still pinned under the drone as a strange charging sound began to be heard from the drone... when suddenly the assistant shouts at the top of her lungs.

"I'VE LOST CONTROL! SOMETHING HAS HACKED THE DRONE... EVERYBODY BACK!"

At the sound of those words, Laura goes wide eyed as she turns back to the (Cyclone Fury's) bright blue glow... slowly shifts into a sinisterly dark shade of purple as it glares down at Naomi, fear struck deep into her heart as she glances back to her commander one last time... nowhere to run, nowhere to hide... and before she could even speak.

Everything turned to a deep shade of orange... swiftly followed by the unbearable heat as the drones ignites its flamethrower.

All that could be heard after that... was the chilling noise of a young girl screaming in pain.

"NAOMI!" Laura screams in shock as she watched the drone hold her friend in place as it smothers her in flames, frozen on the spot in shock ,her screams overwhelmed by the cries of panic from the other members of the division as the horror in front of them unfolds. The remains of Naomi's shield energy is depleted in seconds and she cries in agony as the flames wrap around her body, the heat tearing through her as she suffocates and starts to feel the pain of her flesh quickly melting away from her.

"WHAT THE FUCK!" Jackson said in pure shock as both he and Miss. Orimura are mortified by what they were seeing from the window.

A few girls from the division quickly try to deploy their IS units to try and aid their dying friend... but then the rouge (Cyclone Fury) looks straight at them as it aims its other flame thrower at the group. Laura spots this and instantly runs towards her friends.

"GET DOWN!" She shouts as she dives and tackles Bella and Anna to the ground right as the drone fire again, the flames narrowly missing the three of them as they hit the ground, but she was unable to save three other members of her division as they are caught in the flames before they could retreat. Laura, Anna and Bella watch helplessly as the three girls are coated in fire that stuck to their bodies, screaming in pain as they flail and twist on the ground and strike a fearful image into them as the watched the three girls slowly die as they burned. Then Laura's fears are deepened as she sees the remaining three (Cyclone Fury's) blue glow shift to that same sinister shade of purple and begin to move. One of the Gatling gun versions spot the three of them and takes aim as its guns start to spool up.

"Cover!" Laura ordered as the three of them scatter and take cover behind a row of armoured jeeps to avoid the furious rain of bullets being poured in their direction, the deafening sound of rounds ricocheting all around them floods the air as the remaining to drone begin to fire upon anyone and anything in sight and throws the entire grounds into chaos. As Anna turns round she see two more of her division mates trying to escape... the girls runs towards her for cover, but the a drone fires at them and struck the two girls down. Anna is stunned with fear as she watches the bullets rip through the fragile bodies of her friends and splatter her face in blood as the they collapse to the ground before her, blood seeping from their wounds and staining the gravel around them, the sight aiming only to drive fear and despair deeper into Laura, Anna and Bella.

"DO SOMETHING!" Jackson shouts at Miss. Orimura, who reacts instantly by reaching for her radio while Jake watches the chaos outside unfolding.

"Command this is Officer Orimura... Code: Black, I repeat Code: Black... Division Alpha is under attack and suffered heavy casualties, mobilise all forces... NOW!" She shouts into her radio as she desperately tries to inform the base command of the threat that was rising around them... when suddenly, she is pushed down as Jackson shoves her without warning.

"Get Down!" He shouted as he dives away from the window, and just Miss. Orimura is thrown away from the window... a missile that Jake had spotted ahead of her slams into the window and detonates, blowing a large hole in the wall as the explosive force throws Jackson and Miss. Orimura into the wall. Jackson and Miss. Orimura shield themselves as shrapnel and debris flies in all directions, his ears ringing from the blast and his vision blurred and the smell of smoke fills the room. As his hearing slowly returns and his vison clears Jake starts to hear the faint sound of a woman groaning in pain and sees Miss. Orimura on the other side of the room clutching her arm as blood spurts from several deep cuts and wounds peppering her arm.

"Ma'am!" Jake says in shock as he quickly staggers to his feet and rushed to her aid.

"I'm alright." She said reassuringly as she keeps pressure on most of the wounds covering her arm. "I just got clipped by some shrapnel."

Another volley of violent explosions nearby rock Jackson to his knees as the battle outside continues. Desperate to find out whether Laura and the rest of her division was still okay, Jackson dashes to the hole in the wall left from the missile that nearly took him out and looks outside.

What he was met with... was like a scene from a horrific war film.

The base was in total chaos as gunfire and explosions fill the courtyard, tanks and armoured vehicles mobilising and trying to coordinate amidst the madness to defend their base personal. Thick clouds of smoke fill the air and block out the sun, plunging the base into a deep orange shade as the fires spread across the ground leaving the smell of burning metal and flesh to linger in the air. Jackson watched as the girls from Laura's division flee for their lives, the four (Cyclone Fury) IS's hunting their helpless prey without pity or mercy, even catching sight of one grasp a defenceless pilot in its iron claws before she could deploy her IS and slams her body against the side or a destroyed tank, killing her as she fragile body is crushed by the IS and vomits up blood before it tossed her dead corpse somewhere amongst the flames and debris. Jake feels his heart pounding against his chest in shock... this was madness, but without his IS there was little he could do to stop those rouge drones from tearing the base apart... Then, amongst the chaos, he saw her... He saw the jet black IS piloted by none other than Laura herself charging in to defend the remaining survivors of her division with anger in her eyes towards the drones, then Anna and Bella as well as a few more division girls had managed to activate their IS's and were moving to defend the base. But despite knowing she had reached her IS, Jake still feared for the of Laura and the rest of the division and needed to get into his Unit and fast before anything could happen to them. Then... as the smoke clears for a brief second, he spots the hanger that (Storm Ghost) was being held in... it was still standing and just across the courtyard.

He had to get over there as fast as he could and reactivate his IS... doing so was the only hope he had in defending Laura and her division.

However the first thing he needed to do was tend to Miss. Orimura's current situation. Jake dashes back to her and grabs the radio.

"Command, we have a wounded Officer in room 264... requesting immediate medical assistance." He orders over the radio.

"Copy that, medics are enroot." Replies a female voice over the other end of the radio.

Jackson then tear a part of his bed sheet off and supports Miss. Orimura's wounded arm in a makeshift sling before handing her back her radio.

"Stay here and wait for the medics." He said to her before he turns to the hole in the wall, but before he could leave... he hears Miss. Orimura call his name and stop him.

"Jackson... you better not be doing what I think you're doing." She said worryingly, causing Jackson to sigh heavily as he assumed she would be against his decision.

"Those drones are targeting the bases IS pilots... I'm going to reactivate (Storm Ghost) and draw their attention from Laura's division." Said Jackson, causing Miss. Orimura to become wide eyed at the sudden realisation of what he was intending to do.

"Are you crazy? Without your IS you have no protection out there... You'll never make it across that warzone alone." She said with a shock and disbelief in her tone, trying her best to convince Jackson not to risk his life like that... but her words weren't proving to have any effect on the young thirteen year old boy.

"I'm not just gonna sit here and do nothing while Laura and her division fight for dear life... I have to help them." Protested Jackson.

"You don't understand... I was put in charge of your safety here, Jake... you're my responsibility and I cant let you risk your life so blindly... do not go out there, that's a direct order." Miss. Orimura demanded, but all she is met with was a blank and cold gaze from Jake as he simply replies.

"Fuck your damn order..."

And before Miss. Orimura could say anything, Jackson turn around a dashes out of the hole in the wall and vanishes in the thickness of the smoke, leaving Miss. Orimura to scream his name as he enters the horrors of the chaos that was ripping apart Schwartzer Haze, putting everything he had into trying to reach that hanger and get back into his IS before it was too late to save Laura and the rest of her division from certain destruction.

The courtyard had become a violent and unforgiving warzone, vast walls of fire and thick smoke make it hard to breath as chaos and confusion sweeps across the base that was now littered with damaged and destroyed tanks and jeeps. The bases personal and soldiers running for dear life or try to counter the attacking IS's the best they could as bodies cover the ground... either dead or screaming in pain from their injuries, streams of blood and fuel stain the tarmac and the deafening sound of gunfire and explosions fill the air as Jackson enters the battlefield, moving as quickly as he could whilst keeping his head down avoid detection, darting between damaged vehicles and using them for cover. He glances over the hood of the destroyed jeep he was behind and sees a Leopard 2 tank nearby that was still in the fight and firing at one of the (Cyclone Fury's) to keep it supressed while the unarmed and wounded flee for safety, Jackson gets ready to make the dash and use the tank as his next patch of cover... but just as he runs, the (Cyclone Fury) targets the tank and charges at it, forcing Jake to retreat and dive back behind the jeep.

He watches as the IS grasps the gun barrel of the tank and plants a foot into its frontal hull armour and pulls hard. Jackson watches in horror as the IS rips the turret of the tank clean off and using it like a giant sledge hammer it slams the turret into the hull of the tank, causing it to erupt into a ball of flames from the ammo inside detonating... killing the entire crew instantly. A few more of the base personal trying to escape are peppered with shrapnel and debris from the exploding tank, causing them to scream in agony as hot metal sheds into their legs and backs and reduces them to crawling. The (Cyclone Fury) is drawn to the screams of the wounded female soldiers and closes in on its prey, one soldier turns back to see the IS holding its foot directly over her... the only sound that could heard was her last cry for help before the IS stamps her into the concrete and killing her instantly.

"My god!" Was all Jackson could say after witnessing such a traumatic scene, then sees the IS wrap a hand around another one of the wounded soldiers and picks her up in attempt to crush her in its iron fist. Jackson looks around frantically for a weapon... anything that he could use to help spare that soldier from certain death... and spots an M32-Grenade Launcher lying on the ground nearby, and wastes no time in dashing towards the weapon and picks it up. With a few seconds to spare, Jackson takes aim at the IS and pulls the trigger.

"HEY... OVER HERE!" He shouts to get the drones attention as he fires. The (Cyclone Fury) turns and is struck in the head by the grenade, forcing it to drop the soldier as its stunned by the explosion. The soldier uses the advantage to crawl to safety as Jackson continues to fire at he drone and cover the escaping soldiers... The drone spots the young boy and aims both its Gatling guns at him and fires. Carrying his launcher, Jackson runs as fast as he could towards the drone as the bullets fall all around him. As he closes in, the drone lifts a foot in attempt to crush him, but Jake was ready for this and right as the drone stamps down, he drops to the ground and slides under its foot on his back and fires again and hits the IS flat in the chest, bits of metal and oil spurts from the damaged Unit as Jake passes under it and takes aim behind it.

(CLICK!")

Jackson goes wide eyed in fear as he realises the launcher was out of ammo and sees the glare at him as it takes aim again with its guns... but just before it fires, a violent explosion rips across the back of the IS and knocks it to the ground allowing Jackson to escape and take cover behind the damaged tank nearby. He glanced back to see that it was Laura who had saved him by firing at the drone with her railgun and was now moving in with Anna and Bella to finish the job. The drone sees the three pilots and retreats into the smoke.

"Don't let it get away." Ordered Laura as she charges into the smoke herself, swiftly followed by Anna and Bella and disappear from sight again.

Jackson quietly thanks Laura, knowing that hadn't it of been for her just now he could have been put down. However he quickly re-composes himself and focuses on what he needed to do himself... the hanger was almost in his grasp, it was just across one last open stretch of the courtyard... and he puts every ounce of strength into his legs as he runs for the service door... he was almost there.

Almost...

When he was halfway across the yard an IS lands in front of him and blocks his path. Jackson tumbles to the ground as the ground shakes and as he looks up at the unit in his way... his heart freezes when he realises that it was the MK4 (Cyclone Fury), blood splattered across its lifeless face and claws as it stares blankly at Jackson. Fear and trauma surged through Jackson as he quickly get back up and runs away as fast as he could, the drone points its flame throwers at him and fires. Jackson feels the intense heat growing stronger as the flames close in rapidly as he runs towards an active tank that was moving to engage the drone, and right before he was burned alive... Jackson drops to the ground and slides underneath the tank and is shielded as the flames pass over the tank.

"Fire when ready." The tank commander orders and the gunner unloads the gun, the sound of the cannon firing nearly shatters Jakes eardrums. The (Cyclone Fury) MK4 is hit dead centre in the chest by the tanks armour piercing round and it rips right through the machine, leaving a clear hole in its chest as it staggers and drops to it knees.

"Its wounded! Finish it off." Jackson hears Laura's voice and crawls forward to see from under the tank as Laura and Bella who were aided by two more IS units from their division move in to surround the wounded drone like a pack of hungry sharks that had just caught the scent of blood.

Laura lands a vicious jab to the drones head before it could get back up and is knocked back to the ground. Bella then straddle the drone to keep it pinned as she clenches her fists.

"This is for, Naomi." She said through gritted teeth as she punches furiously into the (Cyclone Fury's) face while Laura and the other two pilots hack and slash into the drone with their energy sabre's... slowly ripping it apart limb from limb and spraying oil and shards of metal everywhere.

But the drone wasn't done yet... and just as Bella reaches up for another jab, the drone suddenly lashes out and grasps her by the neck with a choking grip and without warning, the safety valves on its flame thrower system open and begin spraying out a thin mist of fuel around itself and Bella... and a faint red beeping light on its forehead sends fear straight into Bella as she realises what the drone was doing... it knew it was going to die... but it was going to take her to Hell with it.

"Its gonna self destruct!" She said in a panic, struggling against the drones vice like grip on her neck but was powerless to break free. Laura saw this and orders the other two IS's to retreat to a safer distance while she quickly tries to pry her friend free, but the drones hand was locked tight and with the cloud of fuel vapour around them growing she couldn't use her blade in case of the risk of ignition. Bella looks at the beeping light begin to speed up and figured there was only a few seconds left at best before detonation...

She realised there and then... that there was no saving her now.

"Laura... get clear." She orders her friend... and Laura looks at her, holding back the tears forming in her eyes.

"NO... I'm not going to abandon you." She sais as she tries harder to break Bella free... but it was no use, nothing was working.

"I'm not gonna let you die either." Bella said calmly as she takes Laura's hand a forces her to let go of the drones hand. Laura looks at her third in command with the most broken of looks as Bella gives her one last smile before accepting her fate. "It's been an honour to fight by your side."

"Bella, I'm not-" Laura is winded as Bella uses her IS to kick her clear of the vapour cloud... looking at Laura with hurt, but calmness in her gaze... before closing her eyes as the sound and shockwave of an explosion rocks her body. Laura is forced to shield her face from the intense heat as the drone detonates underneath Bella and ignites the cloud of fuel vapour causing a massive fire ball to engulf the two of them.

"BELLA!" Screamed Laura, watching in horror as she loses sight of her friend in the flames, despair washing over her as she feels the guilt of failing to protect her friend. From under her the tank, Jackson swallows dryly... feeling the loss of another one of the pilots he trained with weigh down on him as he looks into the fireball that would become Bella's grave.

"Laura, watch out!" Another female voice suddenly calls out to gain Laura's attention and snap her out of her grief, warning her that the MK1 (Cyclone fury) was moving in to strike her. Laura reacted with a second to spare as she activates her A.I.C and freezes the drone and avoids being skewered by its H.F. Blade as it drops in from above her. That's when Anna comes to her aid, firing a grenade from her rifle at the drone to forces the drone to back off and take cover in the smoke.

"Laura." Anna said, sounding worried for the condition of her commander as she helps pull Laura to her feet, her eyes still locked on the fire that Bella's corpse was left in.

"She... She gave herself up to save me." She stutters, feeling guilty for the loss of her friend. Anna grasps her by the shoulders and gazes into Laura's hurt eyes.

"Then make sure she didn't die for nothing." She said firmly, trying to reassure Laura and get her back into the fight. Laura breathing deepening as she shakes her guilt to one side as she realises Anna was right.

"You're right... she won't." She said.

"Good... come on, I need you and so does the base... lets put these monsters down for good." Anna said, Laura furrows her brow and nods at her, drawing her energy saber's and following Anna as the two pilots vanish into the smoke to hunt down the rest of the drones.

When the coast was clear of IS's, Jackson scuttles out from under the tank and runs to the door of the hanger his IS was in, without stopping he plants his foot on the door and smashes it off its hinges as he finally enters the hanger, and sure enough... he sees his IS still in standby mode in the middle of the hanger. Wasting no time he runs to his Unit and places his hand on the IS's chest, feeling the jolt of energy pass through his arm as he unlocks the cockpit and quickly climbs in, his armoured suit wrapping tightly around his body as it locks in place and the unit begins to power up.

"Tohka... find the radio frequency Miss. Orimura is on and patch me in." Jackson orders as he quickly runs his pre-launch sequences.

"I'm on it Jackson." Said Tohka as she activated the (Storm Ghosts) radio transmitter and quickly starts filtering through the vast number of frequencies being broadcasted across the base... searching for Miss. Orimura's personal radio until she finally locks onto it. "I got her... okay Jake, you're now broadcasting on her frequency."

Jackson wastes no time in opening his communication module.

"Miss. Orimura... This is I-S-X-C-S Unit: 005, come in."

"Jackson?" He hears the familiar voice of his mentor on the other side of the radio, sounding relived to hear from her disciple again. "Where are you, are you alright? How did you find my frequency?"

"I made it Ma'am... I'm activating (Storm Ghost) right now." Said Jackson as his wings and ailerons start moving and adjusting and the immeasurable charging sound of his IS powering up rings throughout the hanger... However, he noticed the pause in Miss. Orimura's answer after he said he was in the IS... almost as if something was wrong.

"Ma'am?"

"Jackson... listen to me, you have to get out of that hanger now... you're in danger there." He suddenly hears Miss. Orimura shout through the microphone, sounding extremely worried and instantly grabbing Jake's attention.

"The Drones?" He asked, assuming she meant that the drones were picking up his IS activating and planning to move in and engage him... but that wasn't what was worrying Miss. Orimura the most, and what she tells Jackson next was something he wasn't expecting to hear.

"No Jake... worse, I just recently got informed of a transmission that was intercepted by the command... it's the American's we let into the base... they're targeting your IS."

Jackson goes wide eyed in shock when he heard this, unable to believe that it was true.

"What!"

"It was broadcasted on their frequency... the C.E.O is blaming the (Storm Ghost) for this disaster... claiming that its controlling the (Cylone's) via some sort of hacking software." Miss. Orimura said over the comms, causing Jackson to grit his teeth in anger... unable to believe the dastardliness of such an accusation.

"HE'S WHAT! that slimy bastard... I swear if I get my hands on him."

"There's no time to concern him right now Jackson." Said Miss. Orimura as she brings Jakes focus back to the matter at hand. "Just get out of there... he's already ordered a group of his soldiers to head to the hanger and destroy your IS. Hurry before its-"

"Stop right there!"

Jackson is disrupted from listening to Miss. Orimura's warning when he heard a male voice shout out and as he looks up, he swore he felt his heart skip a beat when he sees two U.S. Marine soldiers both armed with FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank missile launchers were aiming directly at him. His lock on warning flashes and informs him that the missiles were firmly locked on his IS and armed. A wave of tension sweeps over the hanger as the two soldiers and the piloted IS stare each other down... neither one making any sudden movements, with those missiles at this range... Jackson questioned if he even had the time the to react if one of the soldiers fire at him.

"Jackson... what's going on in there." Miss. Orimura says over the mic.

"I've been spotted... give me a moment." Jackson quietly yet calmly replies, making sure the soldiers didn't hear him.

"Military IS." The lead soldier calls out to the IS Unit, causing Jake to assume he still thinks the (Storm Ghost) is an unmanned IS. "Stop your terror attack on the base immediately and call off the (Cyclone) drone... you have ten seconds to comply... if not, then we will open fire."

Jackson glares at the two soldiers, feeling a boiling sensation in his blood as he's angered by the accusation of being responsible for this atrocity... He had to get out of this hanger soon though, because with every second he wasted in here playing stand off with these two soldiers... His chances of saving Laura and what remains of her division slips further away from him, and with that thought in mind he spreads his IS's wings aggressively at he two soldiers, flashing his vast array of weaponry and showing that he wasn't going to back down so easily.

That's when he notices the second soldiers expression shift.

"Sargent... it moved." Said the soldier.

"And... what's so special about that?" The lead soldier said in a cold blunt tone while keeping his launcher poised on Jake.

"That means the pilot is in there... we can't fire at that thing." The second soldier said, and unknown to them... Jackson could hear them thanks to his IS advancing his senses... and he raises a brow in suspicion.

 _"They know my IS is piloted?"_

"We have our orders, Corporal." Said the lead soldier.

"Our orders were to terminate an IS Unit... not murder a child Damnit... I'm not firing a missile at a kid." The second soldier says as he drops his launcher to the ground, refusing to harm Jake.

"Damnit Corporal, you think I want to do this either," Snapped the Sargent as he grasps his second in command by the collar and forces him to look at him. "We were ordered by the guy that's controlling whether or not we'll still be here by tomorrow... you're a soldier and you will fore that weapon... or be court marshalled for disobeying a direct order in times of crisis... what it gonna be."

Suddenly the two soldiers are startled as Jackson takes advantage of their distraction and ignites his thrusters as he tries to fly over them and escape the hanger.

"Shit!" Said the lead soldier, and without thinking he immediately aims his launcher at Jake's IS and fire.

Jackson sees the missile coming and barrel rolls at last moment, causing the Javelin to shoot past and without any room inside the hanger to turn around the missile slams into the roof and detonates. The explosive shockwave rocks Jake and the soldiers bodies as debris and shrapnel falls to the ground. The lead soldier was too slow to react as he looks up to see a large chunk of steel roofing falling towards him and is crushed to death by it, leaving the second in command in a state of shock from the sight. The ground shakes behind him as he turns to see the (Storm Ghost) standing there, sending fear right through him as he holds his hands in surrender to the IS.

"Wait, wait... don't shoot." He begs, hoping the pilot would listen to him and spare his life.

He watches as the IS get on one knee in front of him and the soldier is stunned as the armoured face of the IS unlocks and reveals the true identity of the pilot for the fist time.

"How did you know this IS was piloted?" Jackson demanded of the soldier... wastes no time answering him.

"Listen... there's more important matters at hand than that... but we can help each other out here... look kid, you and your friends are all in danger here, but you may have a chance to stop this... take out those rouge drones and force the C.E.O to surrender, and I'll testify as your witness and tell you everything I know about whats going on here."


	23. Laura's Past: Part 3

**The Promise**

* * *

"Jackson... Jackson come in, what's going on in there?!" Miss. Orimura calls into her radio, only to be met with that faint static signal that filled her ear piece.

She had lost contact with Jake after he had informed her that his cover was blown and that a couple of armed U.S. soldiers had found him before he could fully reactivate his IS. Worrying thoughts of what may be happening to her student inside that hanger slowly beginning to fill her mind as she continues desperately to try and regain contact with him.

"Damn it Jake come in, are you ok- Urgh!" Miss. Orimura's thoughts are cut off by a searing pain that shot through her wounded arm as one of the medics carefully removes a piece of shrapnel that was embedded in her flesh, quickly pressuring the wound to stop the bleeding.

"Ma'am, try to stay still." The medic asked as she ties the wound in bandages and moves onto the next shard of metal lodged in Miss. Orimura's arm.

She was still in Jackson's quarters, left unable to move after Jake called the medics and told her to stay till they got to her... right before she helplessly watched him run head first into the hell that was tearing its way through the base and put his life at risk for the sake of trying to protect the survivors of Laura's division. As the medic moves to deal with another one of her wounds, Miss. Orimura tries again to contact Jackson.

"Jackson please... if you are still out there, call back... Jackson!" She shouts into her radio... but there was no answer. She was starting to worry even more now, and without any regards to the fact that the medic was still working on one of her wounds she gets up from her spot and dashes to the gaping hole in the side of the room that Jackson had vanished through, ignoring the calls from the medic to stay hidden and not to go near there in case she was caught in any crossfire, but she refused to listen and stands at the entrance of the hole and a feeling of shock and fear sweeps over her as she takes in the chaos that was unfolding before her. The base was now in full alert and the roar of gunfire, jets and explosions tear through the air, fire and smoke coat the entire place as well as the bodies of dead soldiers and mangled IS's along with their pilots litter the ground... blood spilling from their lifeless forms and staining the tarmac as everyone else that was still alive tried desperately to find order within the madness and get the situation under control.

Then Miss. Orimura sees the hanger that she knew Jake was still in through the smoke, still standing but badly damaged by the war raging around it. However her thoughts of Jackson being okay were soon cut short when a squadron of U.S Soldiers all armed with Javelin launchers and equipped with two Leopard II tanks they commandeered from the base quickly surround the hanger door.

"Oh no." Miss. Orimura mutters in fear as she reaches for her Radio again.

"Jackson, come in... The soldiers know you're there... get out now!" She ordered... but like every other attempt she made, there was still no response from Jake.

What happened next was sure to have been the most heart wrenching thing Miss. Orimura could have witnessed.

"All units, fire upon that hanger... bring it down." The lead soldier orders, and without hesitation they open fire on the hanger Jackson was inside. Miss. Orimura watched in shock as missiles and tank rounds slam into the side of the hanger and engulf it in explosions, causing the support beams to buckle and collapse... hundreds of tonnes of metal and concrete come crashing to the ground on top of anyone left in the hanger.

"JACKSON!" Miss. Orimura cried in fear, holding her hands over her mouth in shock, preying to anyone and anything that Jackson wasn't in there... but her beliefs were faint and full of doubt.

As the dust and fire slowly clears and the soldiers began to see the hanger, it was reduced a smouldering pile of rubble... showing no chance of anything that would have been in there surviving.

"Think that finished it?" One of the soldiers asked.

"I should think so." The division leader said as he sets his launcher down. "Now lets get out of here before we get caught up in the fire."

However just before they could retreat, all of them are startled by a loud crashing sound from behind them. One of the tanks is almost flipped over as Anna is sent flying back into the side of it, shaking the crew inside as the tank slides across the ground from the force. Then just before she could get up, one of the remaining (Cyclone Furies) emerges from the smoke and charges towards her at full speed, with little time to react Anna crosses her arms to shield herself as the MK 1 drives its blade down hard and strikes her gauntlets.

Anna cries in pain as she felt the razor sharp edge of the H.F. Blade cut into her flesh as her armour fails to fully break the force of the hit. The rouge IS grips the tip of its sword in one hand and pushed harder, attempting to cut her arms off completely. Anna fights the pain surging through her and tries to push the IS off of her, but it was proving to be stronger than her and pins her to the side of the tank, then she sees the soldiers standing there and just blankly watching her fight for dear life.

"Help me!" She begged of the soldiers, but most of them just looked at her with blank stares, then the second in command turned to their leader.

"Sir." He asked, and the division leader glances at him before staring blankly at Anna himself.

"We completed our orders... there's reason to risk our lives for foreigners... all units fall back." He ordered... And Anna watched in shock as the soldiers retreat... leaving her to the mercy of the IS attempting to kill her.

"Wait... please, don't let me die here." She begged, but it was pointless... none of the soldiers listened to her. Then Anna suddenly felt the (Cyclone Furies) blade tear out of her arms and force her to fall forward onto her knees. She fights the urge to cry from the pain as blood seeps out of her armoured gauntlets and looks up to see the rouge IS staring blankly down at her as it holds it blade above its head, ready to end her with one last blow to the head.

Anna felt her heart pounding against her chest as the end to her life seemed sure as the Drone swings down, shutting her eyes and preparing for the blade to hit her.

(CLASH!)

The sound of metal clashing echoes out through the air.

One of the soldiers heard the sound and turned back, expecting to see that the drone had finished off its opponent... And it was at that moment, a pang of fear shoots trhough the soldier.

"SARGE!"

The sound of the soldier calling out causes the rest of the division to look back, and what they saw shocked them all.

Anna looks up herself to see that the Drones blade had stopped mid-swing and was floating harmlessly in front of her. Then something appears in front of her in the form of a pair of silver metal hands wrapped tightly around the sword. Then, the form began to appear in front of her, like a cloak was being removed as two arms appeared, then a head... then the four wings along with the rest of the figures body.

"What the!" Was the only thing that could be said from the soldiers and Anna as they realise what had stopped the drone.

It was Jackson and his IS... He'd escaped the hanger unseen thanks to his (Phantom's Cloak).

"Shit... Its the (Silver Spear)! Its still alive!" The lead soldier said as he quickly grabs his launcher and orders the rest of his division to reload.

Before the (Cyclone Fury) could withdraw its sword, Jackson pulls the IS towards him and head butts the Drone, forcing it to let go of its blade as it stumbles back. Taking full advantage of this, Jake grips the blade in his hands and swings it full force, striking the drone clean across the slide of its head with the hilt of the blade. The (Cyclone Fury) spins as it hits the ground and quickly tries to return fire by grabbing its shotgun, but Jake kicks the barrel of the gun upwards as it fired and misses him.

Anna watched as the (Silver Spear) Grabs the (Cyclone Fury) by the foot and with a brutal burst of strength it throws the IS over the top of it like a rag doll and slams it into the ground in front of her. The Drone tries to grab her as well but is pulled back by Jake as he swings the entire IS round and throws it into the side of a damaged jeep, leaving an indent in the vehicle. Jackson then grips the drone by the neck and drives his steel fist right into its lower body, then uppercuts it in the jaw. Staggered and dazed the (Cyclone Fury) tried to retreat and recuperate, but Jackson wasn't letting it get away that easy and grasps one of its wings and throws it back against the jeep.

The drone crosses it gauntlets to protect itself as Jackson continues to ruthlessly pumble his fists into it, shedding small scraps of metal from the drone as he punches its jawline again, praying oil across the side of the jeep.

Anna watches the IS that had saved her continue to pound the rouge drone into scrap metal, and even began to feel a smile of relief wash over her as she starts believing that with the (Silver Spear) in the fight now, that their may be a slither of hope in surviving this nightmare... but then... she glances over and sees the soldiers had reloaded and were taking aim at the back of the (Silver Spear).

"WATCH OUT!" She suddenly cries out, causing Jackson to look back and see the soldiers himself aiming right at him.

Before he could react, the (Cyclone Fury) took advantage of his distraction and plants its foot into Jakes lower body armour and shoves him back. The Drone ignited its thrusters and darts out of the way just as the lead soldier gives the orders.

"FIRE!"

On command, all six Javelin launchers fire as well as the remaining Leopard II. In an act of quick witted desperation... Jackson dives over the top of the jeep behind him and uses it as a shield to defend himself. The six missiles as well a tank shell smack into the side of the jeep and explode... the sheer force sends it flying back and smashed into Jake's IS, sending him hurtling back with the jeep. A small group German solders using an A.P.C to transport the injured to safety spotted the (Silver Spear) being hurtled by the explosion and barely managed to avoid being taken out as Jake smashes into a line of parked armoured jeeps, loosing most of his shield in the impact as he lays there dazed amongst the scrapped jeeps.

"Ow..." He mutters from inside his IS. "These American's are starting to piss me off."

"We need to do something about them Jake, or they'll keep getting in our way." Tohka said in frustration as well, working frantically to repair the moderate damage that had been done to the (Storm Ghost's) internal modules, when suddenly the Hyper-Sensors pick up another incoming volley of Javelin missiles.

"Jake incoming!" She calls out to him, forcing Jake to turn his attention to the missiles flying straight for him.

"Not this time." Jake mutters in anger as he trains all six of his plasma cannons onto the missiles and fires a volley at the missiles, striking them down one by one in mid air. However just as Jake gets back up, six armoured jeeps and one tank, all controlled by the U.S soldiers drive out of the smoke and surround his IS, training every turret and Minigun onto him and ready to fire the moment he moved.

From behind the armour plating on his face, Jackson grits his teeth in anger at the soldiers... enough was enough... he had put up with them getting in his way of stopping this nightmare... and now.

It was time to show them the error of their ways.

"That's it... I'm done with these bastards." He grunts. "Tohka... It's time to turn up the heat." He said, and as he stares blankly at the American soldiers standing in front of him. He gives Tohka an order he'd been itching to give.

"Activate Styker Mode."

The soldiers, who were unaware of what was about to happen begin to spool up their Miniguns and the tank loads a high explosive shell... preparing to finish off their target for good.

"All units prepare to fire." Ordered the lead soldier.

Suddenly, right as the Sargent was about to give the order, there was a sudden burst of energy from the (Silver Spear), like a powerful charging sound had been triggered and startles all of them as the IS suddenly jettisons its wings.

"What the hell!?" One of the soldiers said as they watch the four wings of the (Silver Spear) detach and fuse together to form two floating V shaped drones that hovered above the grounded cockpit of the IS. Then there was a hiss of depressurisation as the main bulk of the cockpits arms and legs unfold and a the form of a metallic human steps out and stands before the soldiers. The remainder of the IS's leg and arm armour breaks up and is drawn to the drones to form additional armour plating and two of the plasma cannons from the lead drone jettison from it and like a scene from a sci-fy film, bolts of purple lightning sprout from the metal human's shoulders and fuses the cannons to either side of him.

The soldiers were taken back by the sight they were witnessing, never in their lives had they seen an IS do such a thing and turn into a smaller unit with two drones to do its bidding, but despite this... The Sargent quickly shakes his head to snap out of the trance he'd put in by watching this and shouts over the comms.

"All Units... FIR-"

The Sargent is cut off when the metal human suddenly lashed a hand out at the soldiers and without hesitation the two drones open fire on them, raining a volley of explosive plasma and rockets down on them and throws them into chaos. As they draw back to avoid being taken out, one soldier spots the metal human through the smoke and aims the jeeps Minigun at him and fires. Jackson spots the gun in the corner of his eye and darts left to avoid being shot up and with a burst of energy from his Stryker Suit he charges towards the jeep, darting left and right to avoid the bullets tearing past him as he closes the gap.

"Its coming right at us! BACK UP BACK UP!" The soldier firing at Jake said, ordering the driver to reverse while he tried to gun him down, but it was too little too late as Jake was right on top of them and drives his foot straight into the grill of the jeep, the sheer force of his kick shunts it back and straight into the side of another jeep and rolls it over. The other soldiers look in shock, unable to believe something the size of a human could have such a powerful kick, but the Sargent quickly snaps them back to their senses.

"Don't stop... pour it on that thing till you run outta ammo." He ordered, and the soldiers follow and continue firing.

The gunner from the jeep that had just been kicked regains his balance and fires at Jackson, but he struggles to track him as he darts left and right again and jumps into the air and straight for the gunner. He sees the metal monster approaching fast and quickly tried to bail, but it was too late as Jackson lands on the roof of the jeep and grabs the soldier, ripping him out of his turret and tosses him aside and right into the side of another jeep, knocking him out in the process. Jackson turns his attention to the next jeep and grasps the Minigun on the roof of the jeep was standing on and rips it clean off with brute strength and aims at the Jeep.

"Take Cover!" the gunner of the second jeep cries out as he climbs out of his turret and rolls off the side of the jeep right as Jake fires, spraying the side of the jeep with bullets, the over soldiers inside dive out from the doors on the other side and take cover as bullets rip through the armour of the jeep and pass them on every side as Jackson reduced the Jeep to a broken wreak. That's when he spots the Leopard II taking aim at him.

Jackson quickly drops the Minigun and dives off the top of the jeep as the tank fires and blasts the vehicle to pieces. The tanks aims up for another shot at him when Jake lashed a hand out at the tank again, and like the time before... the tank is suddenly peppered with explosive plasma as one of Jake's Hunter Killer drones strafes the tank, throwing its aim off and causes it to miss him. Jackson takes advantage of this and runs straight for the tank, and right at the last moment he drops to the ground and slides underneath the tanks and emerges on the other side of it and fires his two shoulder mounted cannons at the exposed rear armour of the tank, causing the engine to explode and immobilise the tank.

Suddenly, Jake is blinded when he turns round and is met by the high beam lights of the last Jeep being driven by the Sargent forcing, him to shield his eyes the Jeep charges at him.

"Lets see you get out of this." Said the Sargent as he hits the gas and slams the front of the jeep into Jakes Stryker Suit, nearly running him over as he tires to crush Jackson between the front of the jeep and the back of the tank behind him. Jackson grunts as he digs his steel fingers into the grill of the jeep and drives his feet into the ground, sparks flying as he's pushed by the jeep. With the immense strength of his Stryker Suit he slowly stops moments before he is crushed against the tank, the jeeps wheels spinning as it is stopped by him.

"No way!" Stuttered the Sargent as he keeps his foot pressed on the gas pedal, but he wasn't moving anywhere... and when he looks out the window and sees the metallic human staring right back at him, He cries out as Jackson picks the jeep up and smashes it into the turret of the tank roof first.

Jackson looks at the crashed jeep for a brief second, seeing no sign of moment from inside it and taking his queue to leave and aid the rest of the base in containing the situation at hand... When suddenly his body is rocked and sparks fly as a shotgun round hits him in the back of his shoulder. Jackson turns round to see that the Sargent had survived the impact from being slammed into the tank and had grabbed his shotgun to try and fight him.

"Will you just die already!" Shouted the Sargent as he fires another round at Jackson, knocking him back a little as it bounces off his armoured chest plate.

Jackson stares blankly at the Sargent, unamused by his frankly pathetic attempt of hurting him and begins to slowly walk towards him. The Sargent began to panic and fires again, sparks flying off Jacksons armour and proving useless in stopping him as he merely staggers with each shot deflecting off him and closes the gap. Before the Sargent could fire again, Jackson grabs the barrel of his shotgun and rips it out of his hands... The Sargent watches as the Metal human grips the weapon in both hands and breaks it clean in half like a toy with effortless strength.

In a last ditch effort and refusing to give up, the Sargent reached for his side arm and draws it right at Jakes head, but right before he could fire... Jackson grabs the pistol and pushed it out of the way as the Sargent fires, causing the bullet to pass harmlessly by him. Then with his arm pinned, Jake drives his fist into the Sargent's elbow... forcing him to scream in pain as his arm is broken and forced to bent the wrong way, clutching his arm as Jake then drives his foot into the Sargent's kneecap... the cracking sound of his leg breaking rings out as his leg bend the other way before Jackson lands a solid punch to his chest... breaking a few ribs and sending the Sargent flying back and smacking him against the side of the tank and collapsing to the floor in a groaning and grunting mass.

Knowing that this time he was done with this pest, Jackson takes his leave and turns his back to the Sargent... only to find the rest of his division standing before him and aiming their assault rifles at him. Jackson stares at the soldiers and clenches his fists... but he did not attack them, for he could see the fear in their eye after watching him take out their commanding officer with such brutality and shaking uncontrollably as they rightfully had doubts that the lot of them could do any better than he did... and were more likely pointing weapons at Jake in self defence rather than in harmful intent. The metal human growls lowly at the soldiers and shifts his head to the left, insisting that the soldiers step aside unless they wanted to suffer the same injuries that their leader sustained. And when the two Hunter Killer drones hover down from above and bring their weapons on them... The soldiers slowly raised there weapons in surrender and part ways to allow Jake through.

"That's what I thought." Jake muttered lowly... then his Hyper-Sensors pick up something in the near distance.

It was Laura and Anna... engaged in a fight with the MK 2 and 3 (Cyclone Fury)

Wasting no time, Jackson charges past the soldiers at full speed and vanishes into the smoke, his Hunter Killer drones quickly following him as he rushes to his friends aid.

"Laura, watch out!" Called Anna as she fires a burst from her rifle at the (Cyclone Fury) behind Laura, hitting the MK3 in the shoulder right as it tried to fire its Gatling guns at her and throws its aim off, bullets straying to Laura's side as she lunges to avoid the incoming fire. Anna quickly reacts to the drone that moved in behind her and was attempting the flank her blind side, firing another burst at the drone and forces it to back off to avoid being hit and takes cover behind the wreckage of a nearby Leopard II. The drone emerges from the other side of the tank and fires both its Gatling guns at Anna and forces her to dart and weave to evade. She spots a nearby Jeep and dashes for it, using her IS to pick the vehicle up and use it as a shield, bullets rattling off of it as the drone focuses its fire on her.

"Anna, Incoming!" She then hears Laura call out over her comms and turns back to see the MK2 propelling itself towards her, reaching out in an attempt to dig its metal claws into her.

"No you don't." Anna said and right before the drone could grasp her, she twists her body and swings the jeep around... the (Cyclone Fury) is struck by the jeep and crashes to the ground, then it felt the vice like grip of Laura's grappling cables wrap tightly around its leg and is flung into the air.

"Anna, shoot at the tank." Ordered Laura as she uses her IS's superior strength to swing the MK2 (Cyclone Fury) round her and releases it mid swing... throwing it straight at the tank that the MK3 was taking cover behind. Anna follows her commanders orders and as soon as the MK2 slams into the side of the tank she fires her grenade launcher at the two IS's, followed by a high explosive round from Laura's railgun whizzing past her as well.

An earth shattering explosion rips through the air as the two drones are engulfed in fire and smoke, the force of Laura's round going off near the tank throws it into the air and the ground trembles as it comes crashing down on its turret where they presumed the MK3 was still standing... but the smoke was too thick to determine whether or not it landed on it.

Laura and Anna were both panting heavily for breath, feeling their muscles weakening from the endless fighting they had been trapped in since the moment the drones attacked, but in the midst of the chaos... they found a second to recover and regain some strength as they no longer pick up any movement from the MK2 and 3 (Cyclone Furies) on their Hyper-Sensors... When suddenly, Laura catches Anna dropping her rifle and collapse to her knees in the corner of her eye.

"Anna!" She said worryingly as she rushes to her comrade.

"I'm fine..." She winced. She was still bleeding heavily from her wounds on her forearms and had begun to feel the pain starting to overcome her strength as she struggles to pick her rifle back up.

"No you are not, you cant keep fighting with those wounds... I'm getting you to the medics immedia-" Suddenly Laura is cut off when her Hyper-Sensors pick up something moving from within the smoke and turns back, going wide eyed when she sees four sixty millimetre grenades fly out of the smoke towards them.

"INCOMING!" She shouts as she grips Anna's waist and pushes her back right before the grenades hit the very spot they just were, the blast knocks both of them to the ground and their ears ringing. Laura and Anna look back to the smoke and are stunned when they see the two (Cyclone Furies) had only sustained minor damage from their attack and were now charging right for them, their iron claws sprawled open and aiming right at them.

With no time to react, Laura was certain the drones were going to catch them this time... when suddenly, a stream of explosive plasma rains down from behind them and strikes the two drone, knocking them back and thwarting their attempt to attack her and Anna. Laura and Anna look back two see two floating wings fly over them and put them between them and the drones, acting as a shield to defend them.

"What the heck are those!?" Said Anna as she looks at the two wings that were aiming at the (Cyclone Fury) MK2 and 3, unable to identify them as she had never seen them here before.

Laura was struggling as well to identify the two unknown drones, when out of the corner of her eye... a stranger metallic figure walks past her and stands before them. The two girls are taken back by the sight of the figure, like a human had been wrapped in steel and C.N.T Muscle Fibre and was standing there in front of the two rouge drones... then something clicks in Laura's head when she suddenly recognised the figures head, those two Proximity Hyper-Sensors sticking out of its head and that gleaming gun metal colour... and she is completely stunned as she said.

"T-That's the (Silver Spear)!"

Anna is shocked to when she notices that it was indeed the very IS she had been training along side, taken in by its new form.

Jackson turns back to look at the two girls to make sure they were okay, then glares back at the two drone IS's, rolling his neck to crack his joints as he holds out a hand, and on that command... an object is jettisoned from one of his Hunter Killer drones towards him. Jake catches the object which is soon revealed to be a smaller variant of his High frequency blade and takes a defensive stance as he prepares to engage the drones.

The two (Cyclone Furies) look at each other for a second, as if they were finding it hard to process the fact that something much smaller than them was even considering to challenge the two of them to a fight. However that thought didn't last long as they both suddenly dash towards Jake, one drawing its fist back and builds up strength to pound him into the ground. Jackson times his move just right and backflips just as the drone brings its fist down, striking the ground where Jake was standing a second ago and leaving a crater in the ground. The second drone passes by and attempts to grab Jake but he forces it back with a burst of plasma from his shoulder mounted cannons, then while it was stunned he sprints towards it and drops to the ground... sliding between its legs as he lashes out with his blade.

His blade glows a deep shade of purple as it effortlessly slices into the drones weaker leg armour and strikes vital components inside, causing one of the thrusters in the drones leg to detonate and blows half of one of its feet off. The MK3 (Cyclone Fury) drops onto one knee after taking such heavy damage and Jake's cannons charge up for another shot into its exposed flank, when suddenly he picks up the MK2 (Cyclone Fury) on his Hyper-sensors and instinctively swings his sword behind him, catching the drones hand before it could wrap its fingers around him. The MK2 is then struck by a barrage of rockets and Plasma from Jake's Hunter Killer drones and sent flying back into two jeeps that explode on impact.

Jake turns back to the other drone and is almost caught off guard when he sees it was already spooling up one of its Gatling guns, but just as it was about to fire... a cable wraps round its arm and yanks it off aim and completely miss Jackson. Jackson notices the cable and looks past the drone to see that it was Laura who had saved him there, restraining the drone with her grappling cables.

"You go our backs (Spear)... so I got yours." She said to the Metalic human.

Jackson nods to Laura in acknowledgment, then notices that the MK2 (Cyclone Fury) had focused onto her and uses its free are and aims its Gatling gun in her direction. Jackson takes advantage of the drones distraction and charges towards it... Gripping his sword tightly, Jackson leaps into the air behind the drone and with a swift burst of strength, thrusts his sword down as he lands on the (Cyclone Furies) shoulder. A loud metallic screech rings out from the drone as Jake pierces the armour of its shoulder, tearing through cables, tubes and other Vital mechanisms. Laura keeps the drone restrained using her cables as Jackson hack and slashes into its shoulder, shedding chunks of metal and spraying oil in all directions. In a desperate attempt to break free, the MK2 ignited its thrusters and takes off without warning. Laura jerks forward as her cable is pulled into the sky and snags the drone in mid flight. Jackson staggers as he is nearly thrown off the (Cyclone Fury) grasping his blade tightly and using it as an anchor as the drone tries furiously to snap Laura's cable and break free. Laura refuses to let the drone escape and uses her reverse thrusters to keep her IS pinned to the ground as she takes aim with her railgun and begins charging up for the attack.

"(Spear) get clear, I'm taking the shot." She calls out to her ally that was still latched to the shoulder of the drone.

Jackson hears Laura's call and looks down to see her cannon charging up... then something catches his attention. Laura hadn't noticed that the MK3 had gotten back into the fight and was in her blind spot, aiming both its grenade launchers and Gatling guns at her. Without hesitation, Jackson fires his shoulder cannons down towards the drone in an attempt to warn Laura of what was behind her, she see the plasma shots fly over her and spots the drone at the very last second. As the MK3 fires, Laura dives out of the way, but she had forgotten that her cable was still attached to the MK2 and Jackson.

"WHOOOOAAAA!" Jackson shouts as he and the drone are thrown through the air violently, clinging to his blade as the only thing anchoring him to the IS. Meanwhile on the ground, Laura was trying desperately to evade the incoming fire from the MK3, but then it fire another volley of grenades and leaves her no choice but to dart violently to the left to avoid being hit... and as she does so, her cable jolts and the MK2 (Cyclone fury) is spun violently, causing Jackson to lose grip of his sword.

"Oh Shit!" He said as he is thrown off the shoulder of the drone, but before he could start falling... the MK2 reaches out and wraps its steel claws tightly around Jacksons waist. Jake struggles against the vice like grip the drone had on him as he tries to pry its fingers open... then looks up to see the MK2's Gatling gun begin to spool up again.

Aiming straight for his head.

Meanwhile on the ground, Laura just lands a fierce right cross to the MK3's jawline and knocks it to the ground. She turns back to look up at the MK2 in the air and is shocked by what she was seeing.

"(SPEAR)!" She said as she sees the Metalic human that she was allied with being held helplessly by the drone and about to be sawn in half by a Gatling gun.

She takes aim with her Railgun, but was cut off when the MK3 grabs her shoulder and throws hr aim off. Clearly annoyed with this drone, Laura spins her body and swats the MK3 back using the barrel of her cannon. The drone is stunned by the hit and Laura wasted no time in taking advantage of that, aiming her cannon straight at the drone and Fires. A violent explosion tears up the air as the MK3 is engulfed in fire and smoke and hurtles backwards by the force of the explosion... smashing into two damaged tanks and lays motionless on the ground.

"Anna... Target the MK2, Hurry!" Laura calls out. Anna looks up to see the drone that was about to fire at Jackson and quickly grabs her rifle, using all the strength she had left in her battered body she carefully aims her grenade launcher at the drone and fires.

At that moment as well, Jackson had charged his shoulder cannons and aims them at the drone, blinding it with the bright glowing plasma shining from the gun barrels... meaning the drone did not see Anna's grenade as it strikes its damaged shoulder. Debris and shrapnel from the explosion bounce off Jackson armour and the drones shrieks out as its right shoulder armour is blown clean off. Jackson sees his sword still lodged in the drones shoulder and wastes no time, he pries the MK2's hand open and jumps across to his blade, planting his foot on the drone's abdomen and grasping it by the neck to hold himself in place he grips the handle of his sword tightly and pulls with all his might.

"I'll take that back." He sneers as he pulls his blade out of the drone in an upwards slicing motion, cutting through the weaker armour until his blade was free. He backflips off the drone before it could grab him again, but as he begins to fall towards the ground... he grasps Laura's cable that was still wrapped around the MK2's damaged arm and yanks on it. The Drone screeches, the sound of metal snapping and muscle fibre tearing rings out as its entire right arm is ripped clean off of it.

Jackson straightens out his body and begins diving towards the ground as fast as he could, when suddenly... bullets begin to tear past him and he looks back to see that the MK2 had begun to chase him in the dive as well, using its remaining Gatling gun to try and take him out. Jackson smirks as he looks back towards the rapidly approaching ground, rolling and twisting his body evade the incoming fire behind him as the drone closes in fast... when suddenly, right as it seemed he was going to hit the ground, one of his Hunter Killer drones passes under him and Jackson latches onto the tail of his drone, pulling him out of the way and into the sky.

The MK2 (Cyclone Fury) realises too late that it had been lured into a trap and despite its best efforts to pull up... it crashes into the asphalt and rolls across the ground violently, taking out multiple jeeps and tanks in its path as it comes grinding to a halt. With its shield completely depleted, the MK2 staggers as it tried to push itself up on its remaining arm, its armour scorched and bent and losing vital fluids rapidly... it calculated that this was the end for it, and when it finally stands up... the sound of metal breaking echo's out as a bright purple energy sabre passes through the drones chest, and a faint whisper ghosts past the side of its head.

"This is for my girls." Laura said in a low tone as she drives her sabre upwards, cutting through the drone until it exits the top of its head. The drone loses all sense of movement and drops to its knees, sparks spouting from the incision made by Laura's sabre as the drone slowly splits in half and collapses to the ground in a twisted wreak.

Laura stands in front of the destroyed drone, feeling a sense of relief that it had been brought down wash over her, and was soon joined by Anna as well... followed by Jackson as his Hunter Killer drone drops him off nearby and the three of them take this moment to catch their breath after what seemed like a fight that lasted forever.

"Is... Is it over now?" Asked Anna, and both Laura and a disguised Jackson turn to look at her.

"I... I think so." Laura said breathlessly, and Jackson nods in agreement as well. Then Laura turns to the young boy hidden within his armoured suit.

"(Spear)... Thank you, you helped us out today." Laura said to the metal human as she holds out a hand to her ally. From behind the armour plating covering his face, Jake could only smile at Laura as he reached out a hand and wraps it around a finger of her IS's hand and shakes with her... feeling relieved that this nightmare was finally over.

Little did either of them know... it was just about to begin.

Without any warning... all three of them pick something up on their Hyper-Sensors and the sound of thrusters igniting roar out as they turn to see an IS rocket into the sky in an attempt to escape the base.

"Oh shit... That's the MK3!" Shouted Anna as she recognises the IS and watches as it climbs into the sky. Laura quickly charges up her railgun and takes aim at the fleeing drone, when suddenly her body is rocked as a shotgun round strikes the side of her cannon and throws her aim off as she fires... missing the escaping (Cyclone Fury) and letting it disappear into the clouds above. Jackson turns in the direction that the shot had come from and barely has time to react as he sees that the MK1 (Cyclone Fury) had joined the fight and was right on top of him. Jake dives out of the way to avoid the next round from the IS's shotgun hitting him and wastes no time drawing his blade and swings at the drone, however... it seemed the MK1 had the same idea and the two of them clash swords... sparks fly as the two H.F. Blades rub off of each other. Jackson feels his arms strain from holding back against the force of the MK1 pushing down on him, when suddenly... the Drone lashes a foot out a kicks Jakes Stryker Suit, sending him flying back and right through the side of a nearby hanger.

Laura and Anna had seen what just happened to their ally and the two of them charge towards the MK1 and try to over power it... but the drone saw them coming and uses its blade to block one of Laura's sabres then dashes out of the way to avoid Anna's bayonet. The drone puts itself between Laura and Anna and begins its attack, rapidly switching between the two of them using its incredible speed and reflexes to block the two girls attacks, blocking blades with Laura and using its free hand to fire a round off from its shotgun to keep Anna back and then switching to her and kicking Laura back.

"Damn this thing is fast." Said Anna as she barely manages to avoid the MK1's blade and fires a burst from her rifle... only doing minimal damage to its shield though.

"Just keep going... wear it down, until (Spear) Gets back." Ordered Laura, lunging to dodge the MK1's shotgun blast and locks blades with the Unit. Her only plan to hold it off and wait for the (Silver Spear) to get back in the fight and help them.

Meanwhile at that moment in a nearby hanger.

Jackson coughs and splutters from the dust cloud lingering over him as he pushes a large chunk of rubble off of him after being kicked through the side of the hanger by the MK1 (Cyclone Fury).

"That dirty, rotten pile off scrap metal." He grunted as he uses his blade like a crutch to help him as he staggers to his feet, looking down at his armour to see that it had become pretty scratched up... but still holding together with plenty of shield energy to spare. Jackson quickly exits the side of the hanger and spots Laura and Anna locked in a fearsome dual with the Mk1 and prepares to come to their aid.

"Tohka, Deactivate Stryker Mode." He orders, and without hesitation... Tohka complies and Reactivates (Storm Ghosts) default mode. Jake watches the sky as he spots his two Hunter Killer Drones returning to him and hover above his figure. Jackson holds out both arms and soon, chunks of metal began to shed from the two drones and were magnetised to his body... rebuilding the figure and structure of his IS, his drones split in two and the loud clang of metal clashing with metal echo's out as they fuse back to him.

"System's Reactivated... (Storm Ghost) is back to default fighter settings." Tohka said to Jake through her comms system.

Jackson reached for his High frequency blade and was about to charge towards the remaining drone in the base... when suddenly there was a loud buzz in his ear as his comms system goes haywire.

"Jackson come in... Jackson... Damnit Jake please tell me you're still out there."

It was Miss. Orimura, she had been frantically trying to call Jake on every broadcasting channel the base had, and had finally managed to regain contact with him. Hearing how worried his Mentor seemed to be in regards to his situation... Jackson quickly takes a second to return signals with her as he speaks into his mic.

"This is Jackson, copy."

"Jake... oh thank god you're still alive." Miss Orimura through the radio, sounding extremely relived to hear from Jake after so long. Then the tone of her voice shifted to a more worried sounding one as she speaks again. "listen I've no time to explain, we have a serious situation at hand... Where are you?"

"South corner, near Hanger 6... I'm engaged with the MK1 that is currently attempting to take out Laura and Anna... so I'm already aware of the situation." Jackson said as he draws his blade and prepares to attack.

When he was stopped by something Miss. Orimura said... something that was about to put him in the most difficult situation that he would ever face that day.

"No Jake... that's not the situation, it the MK3... We need you to disengage from the MK1 and intercept that Drone immediately."

Jackson freezes after hear what his mentor just ordered him to do, shocked at the sheer lunacy of such an order.

"WHAT! Are you insane?" Jake snaps into his radio. "I can abandon Laura and Anna like that, they're barely coping with the MK1 and the MK3 fled the scene, its no threat to anyone... scrap that order, I'm engaging the MK1."

Jackson prepares to charge at the MK1 drone... when Miss Orimura shouts back at him through the mic and stops him.

"No Jake... you don't understand, we've been monitoring the MK3's movements since it escaped from the base... IT'S HEADED STRAIGHT FOR DRESDEN!"

Jake is frozen to the spot when he realises what that could only mean.

"Its targeting a civilian population!" He said in shock.

"We aren't completely sure as of now... but given its current course and speed... that seems to be what its intentions are." Miss Orimura, filling Jake in on the details of the situation... then begins to inform Jake on why she was ordering him to leave the base and intercept that drone.

"Jake... (Storm Ghost) is the only IS left in the base that's fast enough to catch that rouge drone and take it out... you have to disengage the MK1. There are now civilian lives at stake here... if that drone gets within weapons range of the town, the consequences will be disastrous."

Jake is stunned in shock by the situation he was now drawn into... this was the last thing he needed right now. He was now left with a difficult choice to make... to obey his order and abandon Laura and Anna to intercept the MK3... and prey he could do it fast enough to get back and save them from the MK1... or to disobey his order and save his friends from the MK1... and prey he could catch the MK3 before it could hurt any innocent civilians. He wanted to stay and help... he wanted to protect Laura and what little remains of her division, but a subconscious part of his mind was pulling him away from that urge... forcing him to think about what could happen to both Schwartzer Haze and FEISAR if that drone kills any civilians... the blow that could deal to the two industries and put both of them at the risk of being closed down.

No matter what choice he made toady... there were going to be consequences for making that decision.

"Jake..." He suddenly heard Miss. Orimura say over the comms, snapping his head back to reality.

"I'm still here." He answers blankly.

From the other end of her mic... Miss Orimura could only sigh, she tell despite how blunt Jakes voice was that he was upset, confused and scared... deep down she knew he wanted to stay and protect Laura and her division... but she also knew he wasn't stupid, he knew how dangerous not intercepting the MK3 was... but despite how much his head was telling him that... he was being held back by the order his heart and instinct was telling him. Jackson hears Miss. Orimura take a deep breath through her mic... and then spoke softly and calmly to him.

"Jake... I know this is tough for you... but you have to understand the situation at hand, Laura and Anna are two well trained pilots both armed with IS units... they can at least fight back and defend themselves... the people of Dresden however, can't... every second you spend on the ground, that MK3 gets closer to killing innocent lives that will have terrible consequences for everyone... you're the only one that can stop that Jake... so please, I'm telling you... do the right thing."

Her words sunk deep into Jake's mind, swirling in his head as he realises just how big a part of this whole mess he was. He had become the detonator, the fuel to the fire... the finger on the trigger... the decider of who lives and dies in this whole mess. The thought of that urges him to want to stay and protect Laura, wanting to put himself at risk for someone he considered to be his friend rather than a bunch of random people that didn't even know he existed... but then he thinks about what Miss. Orimura told him... and as much as he hated to agree with her, he knew deep down she was right... Laura and Anna could at least fight back, they could defend themselves and postpone their fate, whereas the people of Dresden couldn't... and did they really deserve to die for no reason.

"Fuck!" Jackson shouts in anger, lashing an arm at and smacking the side of the hanger and denting the wall with his strength... Fights back against his urges and puts his blade back as he prepares to make a decision that although his head knew was right... his heart was screaming was wrong.

"Tohka, get me the coordinates to Dresden... NOW!" He ordered.

"On it, Boss." She said as she rapidly scours through her GPS module and feeds the necessary data to Jake's heads up display.

"Focus all power to the propulsion systems, Tohka... we have to catch this thing and take it out asap." Jake then said as he charges his thrusters up, preparing to engage supersonic flight.

"Already on it Jackson... thrusters are ready and supersonic flight mode has been activated." Said Tohka.

The high pitched whining sound of (Storm Ghosts) engines charging up rings in Jakes ears, and he glances over one last time to see Laura and Anna still engaging the MK1... taking a deep breath of regret as he said quietly.

"Hang in there girls... I'll be back for you... I promise."

Jackson ignites his thrusters and a massive boom shook the ground around him as (Storm Ghost) rockets into the air at a blistering speed... the shock wave generated from its almost supersonic take off flips nearby tanks and jeeps as the IS climbs rapidly into the air. However the shockwave was so intense that Laura heard it and turns back, only to be overcome with shock as she sees the IS retreating from the base.

"The (Silver Spear) is abandoning us." She stutters.

"Captain, Look out!" She suddenly heard Anna say and turns back to see that she had been distracted and the MK1 takes aim with its shotgun. Anna quickly wraps her arms round the drones neck and throws its aim off as it fire... missing Laura and she tackles the Unit to the ground, but she couldn't help but turn back one last time to see the (Silver Spear) as it vanished into the clouds and from sight.

Jake climbs high into the clouds, his IS ripping through the air and breaking the sound barrier and he races towards the last known location of the MK3 (Cyclone Fury). He scans his Hyper-Sensors painstakingly, looking for the faintest movement of his target as he tears through the air at Mach:2... but the scopes were clear and he was beginning to become frustrated by this.

"Where the hell is that thing!?" He said in frustration as he emerges above the clouds and into the clear grey sky and scans for anything... when suddenly, his radar pulses as a lone red dot pops up on in.

"Jackson... There." Said Tohka as she gains a lock on something flying at high speed about a mile ahead of Jake. He activates his optical zoom and focuses in on the location marked by his radar and sees that it was indeed the MK3 (Cyclone Fury) cruising at high speed, seemingly unaware that it had been spotted.

"I got it... Tohka, keep it pinned on radar, I'm going in." Said Jake as he locks the drone in his sights and prepares to engage.

Using his IS's superior speed he climbs above the unsuspecting IS's cruising altitude and activates a one off mode that only (Storm Ghost) possess.

Her D.F.M (Dogfight Mode)

Whilst still moving at a rapid speed, the four wings of Jake's IS shift and move to form an X shape round his waist and lock into a solid positon and sweep back into a delta swept wing formation for maximum speed and agility. Jackson keep the drone in sight and begins to speed up even more, rapidly closing in on the drone as all six of his plasma cannons charge up and prepare to fire.

"Ten Seconds to engagement distance." He hears Tohka say to him, counting down to till the optimal time to strike. Jake takes aim as the drone grows ever closer to him, still unaware that it was about to be pounced on.

"Five seconds to engagement distance."

Jake grits his teeth as he lines up his shot and waits for the moment, determined to blow this pile of scrap out of the sky before it even knew what hit it... and when Tohka finally informs him he is in engagement distance for his cannons... he doesn't hesitate.

"Down you go." He grunts as he opens fire, spraying a volley of high explosive towards the drone.

Little did he really know... the drone was ready for him.

Without even looking back, the MK3 suddenly barrel rolls and bleeds off speed rapidly, causing every shot Jake fired to pass in front of it.

"What the hell!?" Jackson stutters in shock as he over shot the drone and see it slip in on his tail, his enemy lock on warning going crazy.

"You've been engaged... Jackson, BREAK... BREAK!" Tohka warns him as the drone fires both its Gatling guns at the (Storm Ghost).

Jackson banks hard right and dives into a high G-force turn, the drone following him down as it continues to fire. Jake feels the stress of the turn pressing down on him as bullets rip past him from all sides, then he suddenly rolls left and goes into a climbing turn, rolling and spinning his IS violently to evade the icoming fire as the drone stick to him... then Jackson springs a counter measure and deploys his upper flaps and the (Storm Ghost) is thrown viciously into a tight backflip that bled off a huge amount of speed. The MK1 passes under Jake and over shoots as he exits the flip and ignites his thrusters to stay on the drones tail and returns fire with his plasma cannons.

"You're not gonna get away from me." Jake retorts as he fires at the drone, following its every move and refusing to let it get away from him.

The MK1 (Cyclone Fury) looks back to see the (Storm Ghost) still hot on its heels and goes into a high G-Force turn... but as soon as it slowed down enough, it suddenly deploys its own flaps and tries to barrel roll past Jake and slide in on his tail again...

"Oh no you don't... not this time." Jake smirks as he sees the drone attempting the roll and rolls the other way, causing both IS's to pass stomach to stomach with each other. In the brief second they pass each other, Jake lashes out with his fist and uppercuts the drone mid-flight as it passed. The MK1 is stunned and dazed by the hit and spirals out of control as Jake locks onto it and fires his cannons again, clipping the drone as it tries to fly away and blow a chunk of its wing off... smoke pouring a thick trail from its wound.

"Nice shot, Jake... keep on it." Said Tohka as she watches Jackson hunt the drone down, twisting and weaving through the sky like a nimble fighter jet as the drone tried desperately to shake him off, flying through clouds and making sharp turns to try and throw him off... but it was no use, the (Storm Ghost's) Plasma cannons had damaged its wing too much and it had lost most of its agility as a result of that.

Suddenly the drone goes into a steep dive and plummets towards the ground.

"Don't lose it Jake." Tohka said as she works to keep the drone pinned on Jake's radar.

"I'm on it." Jackson replied as he follows the drone into the dive, building speed rapidly as he dives down after his target. He fire as burst from his cannons again and tries to hit the drone, but it rolls and spins to avoid the shots of plasma that pass by it, when it suddenly spreads its wings and limbs to rapidly slow down.

"Damnit..." Jake said as he overshoots the drone again, barely reacting in time to pull up and avoid crashing in the thick of the forest he was flying over. He twists and turns as bullets and grenades from the pursuing MK3 tear past him, hitting the tree tops and forcing him to go evasive to avoid large burning branches from the exploding grenade hitting him. Then Jake spots a nearby river and rolls left, flying only a few feet above the surface of the water and kicks up a massive spray that forced the MK3 to lose sight of him as he flies over the river. Jackson then makes a dangerous move and breaks right... flying right into the forest for cover, twisting and rolling like crazy to avoid smashing into a tree.

"JAKE! ARE YOU MAD!" Tohka shouts at him, covering her eyes as she feels like the sight of moving through a forest at over 500mph was going to give her a heart attack. Jackson just ignored her, clearly more focused on not crashing... when suddenly, more grenades from the MK3 rip through the forest canopy and detonate in front of Jake, forcing him to roll and fly under two falling trees. The MK3 had picked him back up again... but was firing blind at his location as the thick forest kept him visually hidden.

"Tohka... mind picking that drone up for me, please." Jake asked of his co-pilot as he continues to dodge and weave trough trees as well as avoid violent explosions going off around him. Peeking through her hands as not to see much of what was happening from Jake's perspective, Tohka enhances his radar and pinpoints the location of the MK3, just above and behind him.

"There it is Jake... Gwaugh!" Tohka said, getting another shock as Jake narrowly misses sawing his wings off as he knife edges through two trees.

"Thanks, Tohka." Jake said as he glances at his radar to locate the drone... then, with precision timing, Jake deploys his Hyper-dynamic Airbrakes and pulls up violently, his body straining from the high G's as he bursts out of the forest canopy directly under the MK3 (Cyclone Fury). "Gotcha!"

The drone is caught off guard as it flies over another burst of plasma from Jake's cannons, it body rattling as the explosive shots strike home and damage the Unit even more, shedding chunks of metal and spraying oil into the sky and one shot of plasma blowing one of it grenade launchers clean off.

Jake rolls over and turns back in to slip in on the drones tail, watching as smoke pours from the damaged Unit, its wings straining and struggling to keep it flying steady.

"We got it now, Jake... finish this." Tohka said in encouragement to Jake.

Jackson smirks as he activates his radar guided Hellfire missiles and locks onto the drone. The MK3 picks up the missile lock and suddenly breaks left when it sees something it could use as a distraction.

"Where's it going?" Jake said as he loses missile lock and follows the drone... then Tohka spots what the drone was after when a small plume of white smoke could be seen in the distance.

"JACKSON... TRAIN! ITS TARGETING THAT TRAIN!" She said as she picks up an Express steam engine a few miles out, it had just come out of a tunnel in the moutains and was crossing a large stone bridge over the hundred foot deep ravine below it. Jake realised there that the drone was aware it wasn't going to make it to Dresden... but if it was going down, then it was going to take the closest civilians it could find with it.

"Oh no its not!" Jake said as he speeds up and gives chase... but he couldn't gain a missile lock on the drone... it was using the bridge ahead as cover... if Jake missed his missile will overshoot and hit the bridge.

"Jake, we're running out of time... you gotta do something before it gets in range, its now or never." Tohka said worryingly as she calculates that there were only secinds left before the drone attacks. Jake racks his brain for an attack plan, when suddenly... an idea pops up... a dangerous and long shot of an idea... but it was the best he had.

"Tohka... on my word... Activate Stryker Mode." Jake said as he slots in on the drones tail.

"What?... but we're flying at Mach:1.5, how are you gonna do anything if I active-"

"Tohka trust me... I got this." Jake said to cut her off, adamant that he knew what he was doing. Tohka was silent for a second, unsure what had gotten into her pilot... but she instinctively agrees to do as he said, knowing by now this sort of behaviour from Jake was common in tough situations.

"Okay... Ready." Jake asked.

"Ready, Jake." Said Tohka, waiting for her pilots signal to activate Stryker Mode.

And without a warning, Jake ignites his thrusters and the (Storm Ghost) rockets towards the MK3 at a breath taking speed, Jake watched as his speedometer sky-rockets.

(Mach:1.7 - Mach:2.0 - Mach:2.5 - Mach:3.0)

On the train crossing the bridge, multiple passengers and young children had spotted the two IS's approaching and were watching from the windows of their cabs as the mysterious gunmetal coloured IS speeds in on the damaged Unit heading for the bridge. Jake waits till he was right on top of the drone, leaving it no time to react as he suddenly shouts out.

"NOW TOHKA!"

Tohka complies to the signal and activated Stryker Mode. The wings of Jakes IS detach and most of his arm and leg armour is shed off to form the Hunter Killer drones that fall back. Jake flies through the air like a ragdoll and draws his H.F. Blade, channelling his energy into the blade and causing it to glow bright purple as he rapidly closes in on the MK3. The drone rolls over as it detects Jackson closing and was preparing to blow him out of the sky with its Gatling guns... but it was met with the small figure of Jake's Stryker suit and struggles to lock onto him. Jackson swings his blade as he passes over the top of the drone, the combined strength of his swing and the blistering speed he was traveling at causes his blade to slash clean through the remainder of the MK3's shield and strikes the main connection joint of its right wing... Jake's blade cuts clean through the drones wing and severs it off as he passes over.

The MK3 spirals out of control under the bridge and towards the river as Jake passes over the train, hearing the voices of astonishment and amazement from inside it on his advanced hearing sensors, most of the voices from kids that were amazed by how cool it looked to see an IS take another out like that. Tohka instinctively deactivates Stryker Mode, reconnecting Jake's wings back onto him before his stryker suit could fall. As Jake hovers in the air, he looks down and spots the MK3 a mere second before it smashes into the water, the force of the crash throwing fragments of metal into the air as he watches the drone reach out helplessly... before succumbing to its cold deep grave and sinks into the water, leaving a patch of oil that seeped from its damaged body to linger on the surface of the water where it was last seen.

"Is... Is it dead?" Tohka asked, looking down to the impact zone in the water where the MK3 finally went down.

"Yeah... It's dead." Jake said bluntly, checking his sensors to see that there was no longer any forms of movement coming from where the drone crashed. Quickly assuming it was over, Jake calls Miss. Orimura over his comms to inform her of the news.

"Orimura... Its Jackson, the MK3 is down... I repeat, the MK3 is down... What's the situation at the base, over."

There was a silent break over the radio, causing Jake to worry a little and wonder what was going on at the base while he'd been dealing with the runaway drone... when suddenly, his radio crackles with loud static, and a faint voice could be heard in the background of the static.

"JAKE... (CRACKLE) CAN'T HOLD OUT LONGER (CRACKLE) HURRY!"

Jake becomes extremely worried at the sound of the voice over the radio, things were sounding bad at the base... and he didn't have long to get back and help, so with no time to waste he turns back and punches his thrusters wide open. (Storm Ghost) is propelled at an eye watering speed of Mach:5 in mere seconds... her entire body shaking as Jake pushed his IS to the limit... and although he was miles from the base, he could only hope Laura and Anna were okay as he sees the towering black plume of smoke coming from the base.

* * *

Meanwhile at that moment at the base.

Laura and Anna were still locked in combat with the MK1 (Cyclone Fury), fighting for dear life against this restless and relentless opponent.

Anna takes aim and fires her Grenade launcher at the drone, it spots the incoming attack and uses its blade to slice the grenade in half and detonate behind it.

"Laura, NOW!" Anna calls out as she activates her ignition boost and charges at the drone, taking advantage of it venerable state after swinging and plants a foot into the MK1's abdominal region, sending the drone flying back and crashed against the side of a tank and collapses to its knees, winded by the hit.

The drone looks up to see Laura take aim with her Railgun, determined to end it once and for all.

"It's over for you now." She said as she locks onto the drone.

Unknown to her... it wasn't over yet.

Right as she was about to fire, the MK1 grabs its shotgun and fires a well placed shot that travels down the barrel of Laura's railgun and hits the round, causing it to detonate inside her cannon. Laura cries out as shrapnel and molten metal from the explosion skims her shoulders and face, the bright flash and intense heat blinding her temporally. The MK1 saw her and ignites it ignition booster and charges at Laura, then next thing she feels is the intense pain of the MK1's fist driving into her chest armour. The sound of metal bending and cracking echo's out as the force of the drones punch launched Laura back and into the wall of a nearby hanger. She cries out as her shoulder breaks from the force on the impact and she falls to her knees clutching her wound as she struggles to get up.

Then... in the midst of the smoke, Laura sees the MK1 leap into the air towards her... its blade in its hands as it closes in fast, attempting to skewer her to the side of the hanger. Laura is frozen on the spot, with her injuries there was no time to get out of the way and she closes her eyes in fear of the end.

Seconds later she felt the tip of the MK1's blade pierce into her broken shoulder.

Laura groans from the pain of the blade cutting into her... but then she noticed it wasn't moving further into her, like something stopped it... Laura slowly opened her eyes.

And what she saw next struck a great riff of fear and sadness into her.

"No... no, no, no." She said softly as she is stunned by the sight before her.

It was Anna... she had seen Laura in desperate need of help... but she was out of ammo and out of options... except one. Laura stares blankly into Anna's eye, then slowly traces down her neck... to see the glowing hot blade of the MK1 piercing through her chest, blood pulsing out with her heartbeat and vaporising in the intense heat of the blade. Anna looks back to her terrified commander, only able to give her a faint smile... trying her best to comfort her of the loss.

"Laura... I'm sorry." She said softly, when she suddenly winces in pain as the MK1 picks her entire IS up by its blade, causing Laura to become breathless in fear as she watches her best friend hang by the blade.

"ANNA!" She cries as the MK1 swings its blade and tosses Anna's body aside, Her IS crashing to the ground and blood pouring from her wound... her body still and lifeless.

Laura tries to get up and escape... but the MK1 plants a foot against her injured shoulder and pins her to the wall, causing her to cry out from the pain surging through her. The MK1 (Cyclone Fury) holds its blade out to her, the blood of her friend dripping from the edge of the sword as the tip of it is pressed against her neck. Laura breathes heavily, fear and misery washing over her... for in her mind, she had failed... failed to stop the threat... failed to defend hr base... but worst of all, failed to protect her dearest friends... all who now lay dead in this base to become their final grave... and as the MK1 raises its blade above its head for the final blow... a single tear runs down Laura's cheek as she closes her eye.

Prepared to meet her friends on the other side as her time in this world is cut short.

Suddenly... As the MK1 was about to strike her down, its hyper-sensors suddenly pick up something moving towards it.

something moving very damn fast... and the drone only had time to turn and see a deep purple glow rocket towards it.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Jake shouts as he collides with the MK1 (Cyclone Fury) at high speed, wrapping his arms round it as the two IS's as they are sent flying across the ground, knocking Laura back and unconscious. Jake and the MK1 roll across the ground, crashing through jeeps and tanks until they grinded to a halt in the middle of the courtyard.

The (Cyclone Fury) Quickly gets up and reached for its shotgun... but Jake was already on it and grasps the rouge IS tightly by the throat.

"DIE! Like the rest of you scrap heaps." He growls as he drives the MK1's head down and right into his knee, oil spurting from the IS's face as it tumbles backwards to the ground. Jackson straddles the MK1 with his IS and clenches his fists tightly as he strikes the drone, relentlessly determined to make it pay for the misery and pain it caused toady. The MK1 shields itself with its gauntlets and times one of Jakes punches with a well timed grapple and rolls the two Units over so it was now Jake that was being straddled. The MK1 grasps his face tightly in its claws, attempting to crush his face, Jake grabs its arm and tries to pull it off of him, but the MK1 jabs his waist with its free arm and forces him to lose grip.

"Jake, DO SOMETHING!" Tohka said as she monitors his armours condition, knowing it won't hold out like this for much longer.

Jackson quickly rotates his wings round and aims all twelve of his thrusters at the (Cyclone Fury).

"Get the fuck off me." He grunts as he performs a Jet Punch and fires his thrusters at the MK1, launching it into the air in a uncontrolled spiral. Jackson wastes no time and rotates his wings back around and fire his remaining Hellfire Missiles at the drone. The MK1 sees the incoming Missiles and tries to shoot them down using its shotgun... but it too late and the missiles strike home, engulfing the MK1 in flames and smoke as it plummets to the ground and crashes on top of a destroyed jeep and loses what remained of its shield energy in the fall.

The MK1 staggers off of the jeep, only to be struck again by Jackson as he kicks it against the side of a hanger. Jackson glares at he drone as he draws his blade, fire and murderous intent in his eye as he closes in on it. The MK1 draws its own blade and swings first, but Jake blocks the strike and twists his own blade to hit the drone with the butt of his sword and stun it... it ducks just in time to avoid losing its head to Jake and strikes his leg... but the MK1 was too low on energy and its blade bounces off Jacksons leg armour. Jake skewers his blade in the ground and knees the drone in the face and brings it back up to his level, gripping it by the neck and violently head butting it.

The MK1 drops its blade as Jake lands a solid right cross to the Units jaw, followed by a violent uppercut and knee to the gut. The (Cyclone Fury) grabs Jakes neck and tries to push him away, but he locks arms with the IS and spins it round him... slamming the MK1 into the hanger wall and forced it to drop to its knees. Jackson sees the advantage to be taken here and turns back his blade sticking out of the ground... grabbing his blade he channels as much power as he could through the blade as he brings it over his head and strikes down onto the drone as it was trying to stand up.

A loud slicing sound echo's through the air, followed by the metallic screech for the MK1 as Jakes sword hacks clean through its shoulder and severs its left arm off. The drone clutches its wound, oil spewing from its severed arm. Then Jake lashes out upwards and strikes the Drones torso, his blade slicing into its chest armour and forcing it back against the wall. Determined to end this... Jake grabs the MK1's blade from off the ground and with one last kick to push the drone back... Jake drive the MK1's own blade through its chest and skewers it to the hanger wall.

The MK1 (Cyclone Fury) loses strength rapidly, its body growing weak and unable to find the strength to pull the blade that ran through it out of the wall that it was stuck to... it then looked up and into the blank and lifeless armoured face of its killer... the (Storm Ghost). Jackson stares at the drone as it places a hand on his shoulder... but there was not strength left in it to do anything as Jake simply turns his back to the drone and walks away... leaving it to bleed out whatever oil and vital fluids it had left and die.

As Jake leaves the drone behind... a faint feeling of relief washes over him... it was over.

The last of the (Cyclone Furies) had been destroyed, there was no longer any threat within the base... he had won.

But the cost of that victory weighed down heavily on him as he walks through the base, unable to turn anywhere without seeing dead bodies, blood, oil and twisted metal litter the place... but the one thing that hurt him the most... was knowing that he had failed to protect Laura's division. And that though pressed down on him as he finds Anna lying face down on the ground, her IS forced to deactivate after her life support shut down.

"Anna..." He said silently as he gently scoops her body up in his arms, her blood oozing from her wound as he looks down into her eye... open... yet cold and lifeless. Jake quietly walks with Anna in his arms and finds Laura, still unconscious and bleeding herself from her own wounds. Jake carefully force deactivates her IS and picks Laura up to, carrying the two girls away from the chaos and fire that swept around them.

At the entrance of the main headquarters, Miss. Orimura rushes outside along with most of the other Major ranked commanders of Schwartzer Haze after learning the madness was over... all of them taking in the sight of the chaos and hell that had ripped the base apart. Then Miss. Orimura saw a figure appear in the smoke before her and the rest of the officers, and goes wide eyed when she recognises who it was.

"Jake." She mutters quietly in relief, but when she sees the two girls being carried by the (Storm Ghost) her relief turns to shock and worry as everyone rushes to the IS. Jake carefully lowers Laura and Anna to the soldiers, both struck with misery and sadness upon realising one of their best pilots was lost... but relived and glad to see that one of them had been saved. They carefully moved Laura to a stretcher, making sure no to disrupt her wounds... and Miss. Orimura looks back at (Storm Ghost), and despite its blank armoured face... she was certain she could see the hurt and worried expression of her pilot from underneath.

Suddenly something catches her eye in the background.

"GET DOWN!" She suddenly yells out and catches everyone off guard... including Jake... when out of nowhere, his entire body is shook as something hit him in the back of his shoulder.

Jackson turn around and to his shock he sees the MK1 again, its own blade sticking out of its torso and holding its shotgun with its remaining arm... The drone fire one more time and the round strikes Jackson's facial armour, stagger back as the shrapnel of the round blowing a segment clean off and exposes half his face. Miss. Orimura catches a glimpse of Jacksons face from behind his IS... and sees a glint of fire and anger in him as he turns back to face the drone.

"Bastard!" He growls as he draws his blade and dashes towards the drone and drives his blade right through its chest... the drone stares blankly into his face, seeing the anger and rage in his eye as Jake mercilessly drives his blade upwards until it passes out the top of the drones head. Jake then drives his fingers into the wound on the MK1's chests and the soldiers around him were sure they could hear his IS grunt in anger as it brutally rips the remaining drone clean in half, spraying oil over the front of (Storm Ghost) as it holds the two half pieces of the drone in its hands.

Miss. Orimura and the soldiers were stunned by the sight of this... witnessing such an act of brutality between two IS's was a first for them, and then the IS turns back... and that was the exact moment when Laura slowly began to awaken.

She sees the IS she had known to be the (Silver Spear)... however, this time... she sees that half of the IS's face was blown off... and for the first time, she sees the flesh of a human hiding behind the IS... but something wasn't right... she saw the eye of the person inside that IS.

An eye that will etch itself into her mind forever.

"Its... Its... piloted?!" was all Laura could manage to say as she sees the black and red serpent like eye of the one controlling that IS... like the eye of a Demon... and that was the last thing she saw before she slowly slips into a deep sleep, the last thing she saw before her mind goes black... is that Demonic eye.

Jackson looks back at Miss Orimura, seeing the stunned look on her face... when suddenly his Hyper-Sensors pick up something moving nearby. He turns back and sees an A.P.C preparing to leave the base... and that's when he sees him... the man in charge of the American group that had come into this base, the man that brought those drones that destroyed this base and killed many innocent people... the man that ordered the destruction of his IS... the man nearly responsible for Laura's death.

He sees the man take shelter inside the A.P.C as it begins to navigate through the debris towards the bases main gate. Rage and fury towards the man responsible for all of this began to boil over inside Jake, and without warning... he ignites his thrusters and rockets into the air. Miss. Orimura and the rest of the soldiers and officers watch the IS as it flies into the air and head towards the fleeing armoured car.

Jackson flies over the top of the vehicle and with brute force he lands right on the front of the A.P.C and drives its nose into the ground... he watches as the twenty tonne vehicle passes over the top of his IS and comes crashing down on the ground, rolling violently as it grinds to a halt on its roof. Jake approaches the A.P.C and rips the rear door clean off of it to reveal the man within, battered and bloodied from the crash and hiding at the far end on the vehicle. In desperate defence he drew his hand gun and fires at he IS, but the bullet bounce harmlessly off Jake's armour as he reaches in and grabs the man by his neck and pulls him out of the vehicle.

Miss. Orimura watches as the towering IS walks back to her with its prisoner in hand and stop just in front of her. With no pity for the man in his hand, the (Storm Ghost) tosses him like a ragdoll to the ground in front of the soldiers, who instantly hold the man at gunpoint to prevent him from running away. The Man turns to look up at the IS that captured him, and to his shock as well as most of the officers that were unaware of his existence... the (Storm Ghost) Deactivates and Jake reveals himself for the first time... the man in the suit is frozen on the expression on Jackson's face, a look of death and unreasoning as he grips the man by his neck... almost choking him as he holds him in the air in front of Miss. Orimura... seeing the hate and anger in his eyes, a side to him she had not yet seen.

"You are going to answer for everything you have done." Jackson growls lowly at the man... his demonic eye striking fear into him and leaving him powerless to turn away as he is forced to accept the truth... it was over.

* * *

The following morning.

Jake stands quietly in an isolated room in the bases Infirmary, leaning against the window watching the rain pour down from outside... it was the morning after the incident and the base was working hard to repair the damage that had been done and to tend to the wounded survivors of the attack. He watches as tanks and recovery vehicles tow the twisted wreaks of jeeps, tanks and IS units away, sending a faint chill down his back as he also watches soldiers walking around and recovering the bodies of those lost in this nightmare, only able to think of what must be going through the heads of those left mourning the loss of their friends... and then having to retrieve their bodies for a proper burial.

As the rain traces down the glass, Jake hears the door behind him opening, and without turning back to face the person... he hangs his head down slightly when the reflection in the glass reveals that it was Miss. Orimura that had entered the room.

"Jackson..." She said softly as she walks into the room, but she was met with a cold silence from Jake as he continues staring out of the window. "How are you feeling?"

He heard Miss. Orimura speak to him again, assuming that she wasn't going to be leaving him for a while... Jake looks up to allow her to see his face in the reflection of the glass.

"How do you think I'm feeling." Jake said bluntly as he stares out into the grey and grim picture he was seeing outside... his mind awash with images of what it was like a few hours ago when the cold and rain, was replaced with blood, fire and smoke... the air filled with the screams of innocent lives being taken and the thunder of gunfire and explosions echoing out. Miss Orimura lets out a deep sigh... had a feeling Jake would still be feeling this way, and how could she blame him... he had just gone through what could only be described as hell on earth to try and save Laura and her division... and not only had to face the wrath of the (Cyclone Furies), but also had to turn against his own countrymen to simply survive this nightmare... and despite all that, despite stopping the IS's, despite ending the nightmare before another life could be taken.

To Jake... it was all a hollow victory as the reality of what was lost in this incident weighs down on him.

"And I take it your here to scorn me for disobeying your orders." Jake said bluntly, still staring at the glass in front of him. He still remembers that he blatantly disobeyed a direct order from Miss. Orimura... and ran into the warzone that tore base apart instead of listening to her and staying within the safety of the main base... and was fully prepared for the scorning he was going to probably face from her for doing such a thing.

However... it seemed Miss. Orimura had something else in mind to say to Jackson.

"No Jake, that's not the reason I'm here... in fact, the truth is... I actually want to thank you for disobeying my order."

Her words sunk into Jakes head, and after a moment to process what he just heard... Jackson turns around to face his mentor with the most confused of expressions.

"Excuse me, Ma'am?" He said to her, only to be met with a faint smile from Miss. Orimura.

"I've been thinking about how you acted that day Jake, and while I've been healing." She said as she looks down at her arm that was being supported in a sling, and then turns back to look at Jake. "I realise now that disobeying me and playing a part in helping us contain the situation was the right thing to do."

Miss. Orimura gets up from her chair and walks over to an isolated bed in the room, the drapes around it closed.

"Because if you hadn't have done that and stayed out the way..." Miss. Orimura pauses for a moment and pulls the drapes back, revealing to Jackson that the person lying in the bed was Laura herself, breathing softly as she rests and heals from the incident. Then Miss. Orimura turns back to look at Jake. "The loss of life we suffered that day could have been greater."

Jake quietly walks over to the bed and sits next to Laura, watching her rest peacefully. He glances over to see her shoulder wound was bandaged and supported for healing... and for the first time, he felt a jolt in his chest as he thinks about what must be going through the young girls head.

"The loss we suffered was already too great... and this poor girl will suffer for it the most." Jake said quietly... Miss. Orimura watched silently as Jake gently placed his hand on Laura's... seeing the pain and guilt in his eye as he spoke. It was clear to her that he was still feeling a great deal of guilt in his heart for failing to protect her division as well as her... and as a result... Jake had personally blamed himself for the loss of those pilots, despite all his efforts and how far he pushed himself and his IS to defend them.

Miss. Orimura sighs as she takes a seat next to Jake and places a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Jake... you shouldn't blame yourself for what happened, nor should you feel guilty... you did everything you could out there. You saved her... and not to mention you saved countless lives in Dresden." She said reassuringly to Jake, trying to take his mind off the guilt he was feeling and remind him of the good he'd done... but it didn't seem to be working as Jake turns back to look at her with a dull and blank expression.

"It's because of me she was put in danger, Ma'am... and her entire squadron was because of me." He said as he looks back at Laura resting quietly. "Need I remind you why those drones were brought here in the first place."

Miss. Orimura lets out a faint sigh as she recalls what the two of them had learned a few hours ago. After Jake captured the man claiming to be working under FEISAR's instruction, and aided by the witness statement made by the soldier he'd saved in the hanger earlier that day... they learned the gruelling truth that this whole incident was no accident... but a well planned and co-ordinated attack on both the German Military and Jake's IS. It was confirmed that an outside organisation that was monitoring FEISAR's progress in the background had gained information of Jake's IS being transported to Germany to undergo testing at he hands of the German Military... and had hired the company that brought the drones in to target his IS as a priority target... however, the story was to frame (Storm Ghost) for hacking the drones and being responsible for the attack. As for Laura and her division, it sickened Jake when he heard the man say that they were nothing but expendable assets to the plan... and the more them that died that day... the better the cover up lie could have been if the plan had succeeded.

But that was not to be, and Jackson had foiled that plan, however it had been at a cost he thought was still too steep as he remembers the loss of life that day.

"It's because of me, Laura lost her entire Division and friends... and I failed to protect them." Jake said, holding his head down in shame.

"No Jake... you failed no one." Miss. Orimura suddenly snapped, forcing Jake to look back at her.

"Ma'am." He said quietly.

"Listen... You can't protect everyone Jackson, as cruel as that sounds... I'm afraid its the truth. No one can protect everyone. I know you feel guilty for the loss of Laura's division... but the truth is... you aren't to blame... in fact, none of Schwartzer Haze blames you for anything that has happened." Miss. Orimura said to Jake in a serious yet calming tone, adamant to make sure he had no guilt left in him.

"But... Naomi, Bella... and Anna, they-" Jackson was cut off by Miss. Orimura raising a finger to him, not wanting to hear him try and make another excuse to feel guilty about what happened.

"Jake... if it wasn't for you... Laura would not be lying here right now, you have no idea how grateful Schwartzer Haze is to you for the efforts you went through just to do that alone." She said to him, causing Jake to go wide eyed in shock at hearing that. But Miss. Orimura wasn't done there.

"You ran head first into a warzone to protect her, you faced terrifying odds that most men would have run from, you put your life on the line for her and her friends... but most of all... you didn't let anyone get in your way of protecting her... even men from your own country... you may think you failed... but to me and the rest of the base, Jackson... we think you're a hero."

"I'm no hero..." Jackson said bluntly. "I'm just a soldier... and I'm sure that after today... most of the base will have forgotten about me."

Jackson sighs as he thinks about what was scheduled to happen today... after revealing himself to the base, arrangements were made to have him transported back to America before any public press could get a hold of him and tie him to this event... and he was also informed that Sabrina was told about the event too, and was expecting her to be arriving soon to get him out of there, and although he knew it was for the better that he leaves... and depressing pain flows through him as he looks down at Laura again.

"You know... I think the most painful part of this whole thing... is that I have to part ways with her." He said quietly, holding her hand in his.

"Maybe one day you two will cross paths again." Miss. Orimura said to him, knowing that FEISAR and Schwartzer Haze were close allies and that the possibility for Jake to see her again under a different circumstance could be likely.

"Maybe... and if I ever do... I promise to keep her safe." Jake said quietly... so quietly in fact that Miss. Orimura didn't quite hear him.

"Pardon Jake?" She asked. And Jake turns back to look at her.

"She's the only one in her division that survived... so I'm making a promise Ma'am... if I ever meet her again, should by some miracle I ever cross paths with her again... I promise, I will do everything in my power to make sure she is kept safe, and never suffers like this again."

Miss. Orimura takes a second to think about what Jake just said, and subconsciously... a part of her saw a hidden motive in his words, a motive that she was confident in believing it was Jake's main drive in protecting Laura. However... right before she could ask Jake if she was right. the infirmary door flies open as a woman barges into the room.

Jake sees the woman and gets up from his seat as he recognises her.

"Sabrina..." He said, relived to see his friend again.

"Jake." Sabrina said in great relief, feeling extremely glad to see that Jake was okay. She runs up to the young man and embraces him in a warm hug, holding him close to her. "I'm so glad to see you're okay."

Jake remains quiet as he holds onto his friend. Sabrina then turns to look at Miss. Orimura who was still sitting next to Laura's bed.

"Thank you, Ma'am... for keeping Jackson safe." Sabrina said to her, but Miss. Orimura could only smile as she shakes her head to her.

"No... its Jackson I should be thanking... if it weren't for him I might not be standing here right now, and neither would she be here." Miss. Orimura said, turning to look at Laura. Jackson could only smile at her.

"You got one hell of a good kid with you Miss. Galloway." Miss. Orimura said to Sabrina, before looking down at Jake. "He's gonna be a great pilot someday very soon."

"I couldn't have done it without your training, Miss. Orimura... and I thank you for that myself." Jake said kindly, gaining a smile from his mentor as she gets up from her chair.

"Well... the feeling is mutual... and its Chifuyu." Miss. Orimura said.

"Pardon?" Asked Jake.

"My full name... its Chifuyu Orimura. I figure that after all you've been through, you at least deserve to know my name." Chifuyu said to Jake, gaining a smile from him as he walks up to her and holds a hand out to her.

"It was an honour to learn under your instruction, Chifuyu... and I hope that one day I meet you again." Jake said, prompting Chifuyu to shake hands with him... however, Jake finds himself caught off guard as Chifuyu wraps her good arm round him and pulls him into her in a warn embrace.

"I hope so, Jake... I hope so." She said softly, stroking Jakes hair gently as she hugs him.

* * *

"And that's about it, Laura... after Sabrina showed up, Jackson was escorted out of the base and safely transferred back to his home base in America... and that was the last time I saw him for five years, until he showed up here a few months ago." Chifuyu said, finishing up her story of what she knew about what happened while Jake was in Schwartzer Haze.

Laura lies motionless on her bed, shocked by what she had learned... her mind awash with all the facts that she was not aware of during the time.

"Mentor... Is all of this true?" She asks Chifuyu, still finding it hard to fully believe what she had been told over what she had fully believed for nearly five years. And Chifuyu faintly nods at her injured student.

"Yes... Jake was not responsible for what happened at the base all those years ago... his IS was targeted by his own countrymen an I'm afraid you and your division were just targets of opportunities to them. Jake put his life on the line to protect you, faced terrifying odds that made me worry for his safety, and even turned against his own country to stand for what was right and protect the innocent, and yet even to this day... regardless of how many times I've told him, I believe his still feels guilty for failing to help protect your friends that day... so tell me Laura... does that sound like someone that would have been responsible for what happened?" Chifuyu asked as she folded her arms to Laura.

Laura lays there quietly, unable to come up with an answer for her Mentor's question. A part of her wanted to stay true to what she had believed all this time... that it was Jake that was the cause of all this pain she had festering within her for so many years, but after listening to Chifuyu tell her side of the story... part of her had become confused and fragile to the whole thing... like someone had reached into her and taken everything she knew and ripped it out of her, leaving her confused and not sure what to believe anymore... However, she could not ever recall at time that her Mentor would ever lie to her... and that fact was enough to give her the faintest ability to believe her.

"... No..." Was all Laura could quietly say as she hangs her head down... But that let her with a question she needed an answer for.

"But Mentor... if all this is true... why can't I remember it?" She asks.

Chifuyu lets out a deep sigh as she recalls the situation and the injury Laura sustained... and still wonders to this day that if it had of been tended to properly... none of this might have happened... And she found it somewhat hard to face Laura as she begins to explain it to her.

"As well as your physical injuries... the medics reported that you had suffered moderate trauma to your head, which was probably what knocked you out when Jake recovered you... and although we were informed that you may suffer possible memory loss... no one properly checked the extent of the damage done to you... We found out you remembered the incident... and that was enough for your superiors... however, it has become clear to both me... and Jake, that you only remembered part of that day... and left you to fill in the blanks yourself... resulting in a massive misunderstanding that nearly got us all killed."

Chifuyu's word cut deep into Laura, making her go wide eyed in shock by what she was hearing... the fact that she nearly got herself and her friends killed by what was being classed as a misunderstanding was a heavy and painful thing for her to take, and she find it a challenge to hold back tears as she looks at her Mentor.

"Ma'am... I'm so sorry for this, for nearly getting everyone killed... its all my fault." She said softly, her voice stuttering between sharp breaths as she tries hard not to break down.

"No... its not your fault." A male voice suddenly says in the back, catching Laura's attention as Jackson passes through the drapes isolating her bed, his hands in his pockets and looking down sympathetically at Laura.

"He's right, Laura." Chifuyu added.

"Huh?!" Said a confused Laura.

"Laura... no one blames you for the way you acted in the arena yesterday... not even me... you didn't know the truth about what happened and no one bothered to check on you to make sure you really were okay... if anything... its our fault for leaving you that way and letting you harbour that pain foe so many years." Jake said as he sits down on the side of Laura's bed.

Laura was starting to become even more confused by what she was being told... for years, she believed Jake was responsible for what happened to her and her friends and that it was his fault... and now he was admitting to that, however not for the reasons she believed but for other ones that even Miss. Orimura believed to be true. And this causes Laura to shake her head at the two of them.

"So now you two are saying its your fault?!" She said in confusion, and Jake and Chifuyu both shook their heads to her.

"No one is truly at fault here..." Jake said bluntly. "It was my fault for losing control of myself in the arena and harming you... but it was your fault for charging blindly into something you knew close to nothing about... and it was Miss. Orimura's fault for not making sure you were actually okay after that incident all those years ago."

"As harsh as it sounds... Jake's right." Said Chifuyu, feeling a slight sense of guilt herself in knowing what the young American was saying was true.

"He is?" Asked Laura, gaining a faint nod from both Chifuyu and Jake.

"All of us made a mistake that lead to this whole mess, and none of us are more to blame than the other... that's why the three of us are here... to make amends and put this whole thing behind us... for good. " Said Chifuyu, taking a deep breath as she turns to look at Laura. "Laura... I'm sorry that I never looked after you the way I should have done... leaving your mind to fester in pain based on a lie was my fault."

Laura stares blankly at her Mentor... stunned by the fact she never thought she'd see the day she would be apologising to her. Then Jake speaks up.

"And I'm sorry that I let that monster crawling within me loose, and for the injuries you suffered at my hand... you are the last person I want to hurt after all you have been through... letting myself drop to that level was my fault."

Laura lays there quietly, feeling just how sincere Jake was being just by the tone of his voice... and slowly looks up at the young man as she realises that she herself had to say something as well, and breathes heavily as she quietly spoke up.

"And... I'm sorry that I attacked you, Jake... I was just so consumed by hatred after learning you were the one behind that IS I spent weeks training alongside... and having little memory of what really happened lead me to believe you were responsible for the loss of my friends... and that made me weak minded, angry... and reckless."

Laura hung her head down in shame after listening to herself talk down on herself... feeling guilty and ashamed to call herself one of the best pilots her country had to offer... when suddenly, her head rises back up as she feels Jakes hand on her knee, looking up to see that he was giving her a faint smile.

"Everyone falls sometimes Laura..." He said kindly... but Laura just seemed to turn away from him at that.

"But I can't fall... I just can't... even if I was twice the pilot I am today... if I fell, I would be nothing." She said depressingly as she stares blankly at he drapes surrounding her bed... feeling like a let down already for ending up in an infirmary once again after failing despite the efforts she put in.

"Don't say stupid things like that." Jake suddenly snapped, causing Laura to turn back and face him, his expression now a more stern and serious one.

"Pardon?" Said Laura.

"It doesn't matter to me if you are twice the pilot or half the pilot you are today...you aren't nothing, nor should you feel that way about yourself... I promised I would keep you safe if I ever crossed paths with you again... no matter what... does that sound like something someone would do for someone that's really nothing?" Jake said sternly, being open and honest about the promise he made all those years ago. Laura is stunned by what she was hearing... and when Jake was about to take his leave. She had one last thing she had to ask him.

"And why would you do such a thing for someone you barely knew." She asked, forcing Jake to stop just before passing through the drapes, Laura looks at him in wait of an answer... the young Texan holding his head down as he debates whether or not he should say what was in his head at the moment, but when he glances back at Laura... seeing that innocent and confused look on her face... a spark ignited in Jake as he calmly said something she was not expecting to hear.

"Because you are worth more to me than you are to your country."

Laura goes wide eyed after hearing that... but before she could saying anything else... Jake was gone, he'd left the room. Laura lies there quietly, thinking about what the young man just said... leaving her confused... and unable to understand what he meant by that. Miss. Orimura later leaves the room to allow her to rest before the nurses were scheduled to see her again, and Laura rests quietly in bed, the faint sound of her breathing was all that was heard throughout the room... but in the midst of this peace... lay a great cloud of confusion that enveloped her mind.

A cloud... caused by the final words Jake had said to her before parting ways with her.


	24. A Lifelong Confession

**A Lifelong Confession**

* * *

Laura lays in her bed quietly staring up at the ceiling, her mind awash with thoughts of what she'd learned earlier today that did nothing but leave her in a state of great confusion and restlessness.

It had been six hours since her long and mind opening conversation with Chifuyu about the truth regarding Jackson and her past. She was now back in her own room after the nurses had administer the same healing factor that Jake had willingly given to everyone else in order to help Laura heal from her injuries as quickly as possible... but as she lies silent in bed, she was unable to get the thoughts out of her head and sleep. For so many years she had believed that Jake was the one that was responsible for the deaths of her comrades and close friends on that fateful and scaring day back at Schwartzer Haze, leaving him as a mortal enemy and target that she wouldn't rest until terminated to avenge her friends undeserved fates... but now, she'd learned that Jake wasn't the one responsible, but in fact her saviour and had fought with Venomous intent to protect her, even against his own countrymen to insure she was kept safe and was not to suffer the same way her friends did. He had risked everything including his life for her, and because of that... he'd left and unanswerable question in her mind... a question that he alone knew the answer to.

Why?

"Why did he do all that... for me?" She mutters under her breath. She had been kept awake by that one question that was created after learning everything about the incident that she had been blinded from because of the partial mind wipe that she had suffered from at the hands of the American Company that tried to silence her in order to cover their tracks regarding their involvement with the incident... then she thinks about the last thing Jake said to her before parting ways with her at the infirmary.

"You're worth more to me, than you are to your country."

Those words circulated in her brain and refused to let her find the peace to rest, unable to understand what he meant by that. Was he saying she was worth something to other companies like the one that attacked Schwartzer Haze? Or to her friends? To the IS program she was part of? To him? Those options and many more flow through her mind as she contemplates on the one sentence he had planted in her brain, causing her to shake her head in frustration... unable to come up with a valid answer.

"Laura, are you alright?" Laura hears in the corner of her ear as she turns her head to see Charlotte looking at her with a slightly worried expression on her face after seeing the confused and restless young German girl lying on her bed looking like she was afraid to sleep. She had just come out of the shower, her hair wrapped up in a large towel and small beads of water trails down her legs as she drys herself off. Laura sighs as she looks at her French friend.

"I'm fine Charlotte... I just can't fall asleep." She said quietly, gaining a faint sigh from Charlotte herself.

"Is it about eariler today?" Charlotte asked as she sat down on the side of her bed opposite Laura, gaining a faint nod from her. She was the only one out of Laura's friends that had overheard the story about Jackson's involvement with her past, and although she to was confused as to why Jake had acted the way he had done that day as well as everything else he'd done to keep Laura safe... she could only imagine what the thought of all this must be doing to her friends mind... to know that someone she thought was a cold blooded and vicious creature of merciless intent... was actually the one that saved her life, and was ultimately the reason she still remains the girl she had been all these years.

"I just don't understand why, Charlotte." Laura said as she looks back up at the ceiling. "Why did he do all that for me when we barely knew each other."

"I'm sure he had his reasons... I know it seems strange like that, but Jackson is a good man, Laura." Charlotte said as she tried to comfort her friend.

"Good man or not... You can't really justify his actions without condemning them as unexplainable, Charlotte." Laura said as she sits up herself to look at her friend.

"What do you mean?" Asks Charlotte, unsure of what Laura meant by that.

"I barely knew him, Charlotte... I didn't even know his name back then, and he knew near nothing about me either... yet he acted as if I was someone close to him, like he knew more about me than he was making out to be." Laura said, causing Charlotte to raise a brow to her.

"Do you think... that maybe he did?" She asked, and Laura could only sigh at her friend.

"I don't know, Charlotte... I just don't know, but one thing I do know... is that he had a reason to fight like that in order to keep me safe... a reason only he knows." Laura said, thinking back on that sentence Jake said about her being worth more than she thought to him.

"If so... I'm sure that it will become clear soon, Laura... for now I think it's best you maybe try not to let it get to you." Charlotte said. She was starting to worry that Laura was letting this whole thing get to her head and was hoping she wouldn't do anything rash in order to get her answers, however... her assumptions were unfortunately confirmed as Laura shakes her head at her.

"I'm afraid I can't, Charlotte... for years I have been living on a lie that nearly got me killed for no reason, and the one that nearly ended me was the one that saved me all those years ago. I have so much that needs to be answered... and there's only one person that'll ever be able to answer me." Laura said as she gets up from her bed. "And that's Jackson."

Laura decided there and then that if she was ever going to put this whole thing behind her for good and find the clarity to continue on, was to confront Jake and find out from him, why did he do so much for someone he barely knew and could have easily left to fate and avoid the trouble. She walks over to her drawer and puts a white shirt over her underwear in order to leave her room, however as she was about to walk past Charlotte's bed, she quickly gets up and puts a hand on her shoulder to stop her, causing her to turn round and face her friend eye to eye.

"Laura, are you sure this is the best idea?" Charlotte said worryingly. She was pretty sure that despite her best efforts she wasn't going to stop the young silver haired girl from doing what she wanted, but she at least wanted to make sure that Laura had no intent of forcing Jake to talk, after seeing what sort of creature lurked under his flesh, she wanted to make sure Laura was at least calm enough to go see him without the chance of another fight that would risk Jackson losing control of his inner demon was not going to happen. However when she looked into Laura's eye, she didn't see a look of of anger nor violent intent, but in fact one of confusion and innocence.

"Yes, Charlotte... I'm sure." She said calmly as she puts her hand on hers and removed it from her shoulder. "He's the only one that can answer me... and all I can say, is that I hope he will."

Charlotte took a deep breath as she takes a second to think about what Laura said, and ultimately knew that she wasn't going to stop her from going, however after hearing how desperate she was for an answer... she could only nod faintly at her friend as she said.

"Okay... but please Laura, be safe."

Laura gave her friend a small smile as she turned around and leaves her friend alone in the room and walks down the empty hall, her destination... Ichika and Jackson's room.

Jackson looks at his reflection in the mirror as he brushes his teeth, preparing to turn in himself for the night. rinsing his mouth clean with a glass of water he leaves the bathroom and into his empty room. Ichika hadn't come back yet from one of his late night training sessions with Houki, and unfortunately wasn't able to join himself due to his IS being damaged in the fight yesterday and had to leave it with Miss. Yamada in order to have it repaired before tomorrow's training as well as Cecilia's and Rins to.

"You okay Jake?" Tohka asked, sitting on the side of his bed in her night ware attire. Jake had managed to remove her from his IS before handing it over in order to let her remain in his room thanks to his holographic projectors in the room. Jackson sighed at her as he moves to his drawer next to the bed.

"I've been better Tohka." He said as he reached into the draw and pulls out a large spray can of some sorts.

"I know it's been tough these last few hours, Jake... but I'm sure it'll get better, you have nothing to hide." Tohka said, trying to comfort her pilot. She knew that Jackson was still feeling guilty for letting his inner demon lose like that, but ultimately he had no choice otherwise he wouldn't be standing in front of her right now, but that didn't stop Jake from sighing in guilt as thoughts and flashbacks of that gruelling dual between Jack and his friends pop into his mind.

"But I did, Tohka... I was hiding Jack from them, and I let myself lose control of him and it nearly cost me more than I could ever get back." He said in a low, guilt ridden tone as he opens the cap on the spray bottle, looking down at his Cybernetic arm, twitching his metallic and C.N.T muscle fibre fingers as he points the can at the attachment.

"And now they also know about this bloody arm of mine." Jackson said as he sprays the can onto his Cyber-arm. The can was filled with a liquified artificial synthetic flesh that he'd been using to disguise his secret from the prying eyes of the Academy, and as it touches the cold steel and muscle fibres of his arm, it reacts to solidify into a lifelike layer of flesh to mask the futuristic arm from sight.

"Just wait, Jake... I know you'll be able to get things back to their peaceful ways again." Tohka said softly, causing Jake to look back at her as she then said.

"You always have been able to do that... despite how bad things are."

Jackson sighs again as he finishes off covering his arm in the synthetic flesh, flexing and twisting his arm to insure that it had dried properly and no rips or tears would form in the layer, looking at Tohka as he puts the can back in he draw.

"I'm afraid it may be different this time Tohka." He said as he drops down onto his bed to star up at the ceiling. "I can't change the fact that my friends have seen that I'm not exactly the person that they have been around these last couple of months."

Tohka could understand that Jake was somewhat right in what he was saying, but she knew that he had to try and look past the negative things in this situation and focus more on the effort to prove his friends wrong and show them that despite knowing Jack's existence, didn't mean that Jake was the same as him. And that was exactly what she was about to say to him... but then the two of them were disrupted from their train of thought when the sound of knuckles rapping against the door of the room echoed in the air.

"Huh!?" Jake said as he sat up on his bed, then the sound echoes out again.

"Is Ichika back early or something?" Tohka asks, Jake... However when he looks back at her, he just shakes his head in response.

"Nah, Ichika doesn't need to knock on his own door... That's someone else." Jake said as he gets up from his bed and walks over to the door, unsure of who it could've been on the other side. Tohka took this moment to dissipate into fragments of light and return to her data platform on Jake's desk to leave him be as he goes to the door, which was now being knocked on for the third time.

"Okay, okay... I'm coming." Jake said as he grips the handle and twists his wrist... but when the door opens and the person hiding behind it was revealed to Jake, he becomes frozen on the spot in shock.

"L-Laura!?" Jackson stuttered as he looks to see the young German girl standing in front of him.

"Wh-what is she wearing?" He stutteres in his mind as she stood silently in front of him, and looking directly at him. Apart from her other various uniforms Jackson always thought Laura didn't really own anything other than her military styled Academy clothes, never in his own mind did he think he'd catch her in just a white night shirt and a pair of skin tight dark purple underwear.

Jake feels his Stomach drop to the floor, clenching his teeth to prevent his jaw from following. He brought his eyes slowly up her pale bare legs to her dark purple bloomers that hugged her hips and thighs just the right amount to show her bodies perfect curves, up the curve of her waist to her chest, which was partly blocked by her folded arms.

"Jake... you and I need to talk." She said calmly, snapping Jake out of his trance and causing him to mentally shake his head clear of any thoughts that tried sneaking into his mind.

"Err, yeah... if you want to, come in." Jake says as he gestured the you young German into his room and closes the door behind him. Laura walks into Jake's room and sits herself down on the side of Ichika's bed, her eyes glancing over the room as if she was scanning it for anything.

"Can I make you anything to drink, I was going to make something myself but I should offer you something to." Jake asks Laura, causing her to look at him.

"That would be nice of you Jake, yes please." She replied politely to him, and with that said, Jackson pours warm water into the kettle and sets it to boil. However, as he was going about making his and Laura's refreshments... a cold chill crept up his spine, something wasn't right in his mind.

"Why is she here?" He said quietly in his mind, peering back over his shoulder to see that Laura was look ahead of her as if someone was sitting in front of her.

Of all the things Jake could have expected, seeing Laura so soon after everything that has happened over the last twenty four hours was not one of those things. He knew that Chifuyu had spoken to her about the truth of her past and his involvement with it, and how he wasn't the one responsible for the loss of her friends and fellow comrades... but there was no way in his mind that he thought that she was here for a simple conversation.

She'd never come into his room so willingly by herself, apart from that games Night a few weeks ago, so seeing her again so soon after everything else that happened was beyond explainable to him.

He thought she would have still hated him too much to do such a thing like come to him privately to talk.

His thoughts however were cut off there when he hears the kettle begin to whistle, indicating the water had reached its boiling point and Jake turned his attention back to that and pours the hot water into two cups he had prepared while the water had been boiling. Carefully picking both cups up in his hands he walks over to Laura and holds one of them out to her.

"Here, it's Texas sweet tea."

Laura carefully takes the cup from Jake's hand and looks at him as she did so.

"Thank you Jake." She said politely as she blows into the cup to cool off the tea inside before taking a sip. It was still a little hot and caused her to scrunch her nose at first, but she soon became used to the heat and takes a bigger sip.

"It's nice, Jake." Laura said, gaining a small smile from Jake as he sits down on the side of his own bed opposite her.

"I'm glad you like it." Jackson said as he takes a swig from his own cup. "So... what was it you wanted to talk about."

At that moment, Jake spots a shift in Laura's expression as he asked that. Laura gazed down into her cup, seeing her reflection in the stillness of her tea, before taking a deep breath and looking back up to him.

"I've been thinking a lot about what both Mentor Orimura and you have said to me today." She said, gaining Jake's attention instantly.

"You have." Jake said as he raised a brow to her, gaining a faint nod from the silver haired girl.

"I have... and despite my best efforts, I can't understand one thing, Jake..." Laura said, and then she gazed straight into Jackson's eye as she then said.

"Why?"

"Huh?" Jackson said in confusion, unsure of what Laura meant by that.

"Why did you do all that for me? For someone you barely ever knew?" Laura then asks, catching Jake off guard with such a strange question. Jackson took a brief second to process that question in his mind and started to kind of see what Laura was getting at with what she was trying to say, however he had to be sure he was right on his assumption and thinks of a logical way to answer her.

"The line of duty, Laura... I wasn't going to let you die at the hands of a corrupt company and their desire for greed and selfishness... even if they are from my own country." Jake said, growling lowly at that last point of his sentence as he remembers clearly how disgraceful it felt to know that Americans like him were responsible for that incident. Then he looks back at Laura as he spoke up again.

"You were merely a victim caught in a massive event that effected everyone at Schwartzer Haze... And being the man I am, I refused to let you suffer for that."

Jake takes another sip of sweet tea from his cup, but as he looked at Laura, she was just staring blankly at him as she shook her head.

"And that's my point Jake... I don't understand the man that you are?" She said, putting her cup down on the counter next to her as she looks at Jake.

"You don't understand me?" Jackson said in a confused tone, causing Laura to nod at him.

"You weren't really a major part of that incident either... and any smart man in that situation would have stayed away. They would have done their best not to get involved and avoid the trouble and consequences for involving themselves in that mess." Laura paused for a moment to look at the confused expression on Jake's face before saying.

"But you... You ignored all of that. Mentor Orimura told me everything you did. How you fought your way out of the base to come to the aid of me and my friends, that you turned against your orders despite risking blowing your cover... how you didn't stop till you destroyed all of those rouge drones before they could do any more damage than they'd already done. And that you chased one Down before it could escape from the base and hurt any civilians outside Schwartzer Haze... and came back to help us."

Jackson stayed motionless for a moment as Laura talks to him, going over every little detail about what happened as if she was completely aware of it happening. He glanced away for a second as he recalled chasing that drone that was trying to escape from the base and the consequences that could have occurred if he left it to flee... but then he looks back to Laura with a guilty look in his eyes.

Because in his mind... there was a consequence itself for chasing that drone.

"I didn't want to want to chase that drone Laura." He said.

"What do you mean?" Laura asked in confusion.

"I wanted to stay with you and your friends, and protect all of you to the best of my ability... but I had no choice, if I didn't chase down and take out that drone... then the consequences that FEISAR would have suffered would have ruined them... I was the only one that could stop that from happening." Jake explains, making it clear that he had his reasons to why he had to leave the base and pursue that rouge drone. Laura takes in what he said, and despite knowing that it was indeed his legitimate reason... a faint chill crawls over her as she remembers clear as day what happened to her friends when she was left with them to fend for themselves.

"I lost a lot of good people because of that... and nearly died to." She said, turning her head away from Jackson to hide the fact that her eyes were on the verge of welling up from that memory.

"I know... And I'm so sorry that I failed to aid you in protecting them, Laura. But despite how much I wanted to protect my friend... I had to carry out that order... And even now, I wish I could've made it back sooner." Jake said, hanging his head down in despair. Laura turns back to him and tilts her head at him in her own state of confusion however.

"Your friend? But I never even knew your name... Nor did I ever see you... How could you call me a friend if I never knew you were in front of me?" She asked.

Jake could only chuckle a little when he thinks back on how this whole thing started, and how ridiculous it was going to sound when he tells Laura... But nevertheless, he was able to give her a faint smile as he looks back to her.

"It's crazy... but it didn't seem like that to me, Laura." He said... Laura paused for a second, taking in what Jake said and couldn't find the words to reply to him. She momentarily thought back on all those moments she spent interacting with Jake' IS, or the conversation she had with him when he used his verbal distortion module to mask his voice after catching her when she snuck into his hanger that night, all the times she thought she was interacting with a machine... when really it was him the whole time, then she looked back to Jake with a surprised expression on her face.

"You mean... you were being sincere with me all that time? You weren't just messing around to trick me?" She asked, and Jake calmly shakes his head at her.

"I wasn't messing around with you. I wanted to talk, and I wanted to get to know you better and become a friend of yours... but you know all too well that a soldier is bound to his or her duties. So I couldn't do it, Laura... If I blew my cover then I would've been shipped out back to America and I'd no longer be able to see you."

Jake's words were burrowing into Laura's head and causing her to become even more confused.

"So... you wanted to see me." She said.

"There's something about you that intrigued me, Laura." Said Jake, gaining her full attention instantly.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"You're a strong girl, a dedicated and loyal soldier and is extremely passionate on becoming the best pilot you can be... but when you came into the hanger, and I reacted to you... I saw a side of you that I never knew you had. You seemed so intrigued by my IS and how I reacted to your movements, it made you lower your guard... and I saw the softer side of you... and seeing that side of you intrigued me... and made me want to know that side of you to."

Laura mentally shook her head at what Jake was saying, wondering what the boy was talking about now... He'd completely change the subject of her intended conversation with him and wanted to ask him the question she came to have answered... but she couldn't help but want to know more about what he was trying to tell her. The way he was acting, talking and how calm and sincere he was being to her was something the likes of which she'd never seen before... it almost made her forget about the creature that lurked beneath his flesh.

"I have no soft side." She huffs, puffing out her cheeks at Jake. "That is a sign of weakness. And as a soldier I refuse to show any weakness to anyone."

Jake smiles at her though as he puts his own cup on the counter next to hers as he said.

"Everyone has a soft side to them, Laura... even soldiers, we just learn to hide them better than other people do."

Laura tried to come up with a reply to his last statement, however all she could manage was to stutter out some random forms of gibberish. She had been mentally tripped up by Jake, who was smiling at her as if he knew he was right about her. Her head was now awash with more thoughts and questions that she couldn't answer than she had before coming into his room, and now she was starting to grow frustrated with that... something she made crystal clear when she shakes her head violently and shoots up from the side of the bed.

"NO!" She snapped, startling Jake with her sudden outburst.

"Huh!?" Jake stuttered as Laura stands right in front of him and points an accusing finger at him.

"I'm not going to be tricked, Jake." She said sternly, causing Jake to raise a brow at her.

"I'm not trying to trick you, Laura." He said, gently placing his hand on hers and pushed her arm away before she'd end up poking his eye out.

"Jake, I came here because I had a question that only you alone could answer... And yet you change the subject and now I'm stuck with more questions that I can't answer alone." Laura snapped, standing in front of an evermore confused Jackson, unsure of what she was trying to get through to him.

"I thought I was answering you questions?" He asked as he looks up at her, but Laura shakes her head at him.

"No, you haven't... Jake, out of everyone I've known... you've done more for me, and I don't know why. I was just a stranger to you then... why would you risk everything including your life, for a stranger?" She said as she takes a step closer to him. Jackson looks up into her ruby red eye as he takes a deep breath, continuing to remain calm minded about the fact that a frustrated and slightly upset Laura was standing right in front of him.

"Laura... you weren't a stranger to me. It only looks that way to you because I had very little options for communicating with you due to my orders... and that's why I did what I felt was right, and after that nightmare back in Schwartzer Haze was over and I had to leave... I made a promise to Chifuyu... and to myself... that should I ever return, should I ever be around you, I'd make sure that I would protect you." Jake said calmly, gazing into Laura's eye as he spoke to her. Laura becomes wide eyed at the feeling of Jake's words circulating in her brain, she was stunned by how resilient he was about his sides point of the whole situation... it was hard for her to believe that someone that had been in a situation like what Jake was in all those years ago, was able to see enough in someone in such short time to see them as a friend worth dying for... or at least, that's what she assumed that was what he was getting at.

It just seemed to ridiculous to her to be logical, and that's when she takes a second to think on what the young Texan said about promising her mentor that he'd protect her. Then Laura stared blankly at Jake as she takes a step back.

"So that's why... Mentor got you to promise her you'd do it, she asked you to protect me." She said quietly, hanging her head down a little in grief at the fact that it seemed that her mentor still had a lack of trust in her ability to defend herself... and had resorted to having someone unknown to her keep a watchful eye on her like a child. She even began to assume that was the main reason Jake was here at the Academy in the first place, and not really here for data collection purposes... Laura takes a deep sigh of sorrow as a hollow feeling I her chest creeps through her, before looking back at Jake.

"I should've known there was some other reason why you came here... it was just to keep the promise she asked you to make for her." She said bluntly to the young Texan. And with that said, Laura believed that her time here was done and quietly walks past Jake and heads to his rooms door to leave before her disappointment took hold any more than it had done... but just as she was about to grasp the door handle, a sudden chill runs down her back as she felt Jake's hand gently landing on her shoulder, stopping her dead in her tracks.

"Laura..." Jake said softly as he stood behind her. "She never asked me anything... I promised myself I'd protect you before I said it to her."

"Go away, I've had enough of the mind games" she says her voice carrying a sense of anger in her tone. He decides to get straight to the point before she forcefully evicts herself from his room.

"I don't want you to think I'm only here to watch over you, I know you're a strong person... but that doesn't mean I don't care about you enough to ignore my promise." he says quietly, awkwardly confessing to her. Laura just huffed at him.

"Care about me? How can you care about someone you barely know? How can you say and do the things that you did, and not expect me understand why... Do you have any idea what that feels like Jake?" She trails off trying to keep herself together. The sound of her fragile, upset voice causes Jackson to feel a sharp pain in his chest, she really was hurt by this whole situation and the thought of it hit him hard, like a cold hand had reached into his chest and crushed something inside of him that mattered.

He couldn't bare to see her trying to hold back tears for something that he was a part of, and that's when something snapped inside his head.

"Fuck it! I'm not letting her be upset about this anymore." He says internally. "It's time to be honest about out this, whether she wants to believe it or not."

Laura was unaware of it right now... but Jake had one reason left about why he wanted to protect her that he hadn't told her yet. And his reason for not saying it now, was that he believed he wasn't ready himself to confront her about it yet, his mind too afraid of the result that telling her could reveal... But enough was enough, he could see clear as day that she was upset about this and just wanted to know why more than anything else. With that thought spearheading his mind, he took a deep breath, and confronted what he'd been hiding for a very, very long time.

"You're right... I don't know what that feels like... but I know what loosing friends feels like. And that's why I want to be by you."

Laura pauses for a second and turns to look at him, surprised, did she just hear what she thought she heard.

"Listen... ever since what happened at Schwartzer Haze, I haven't been able to sleep right at all." He gestured toward himself and met her hurt ruby red eye. Then he looked off to the side again, feeling slightly timid. He needed her to understand how serious he was. He wanted her to know how much he truly cared about her and why he wished things maybe played differently so he didn't have to hide the way he truly felt about her. With a rapid increase of his heart rate, he decided to lay it all out on the line. This was the truth.

"I know how you felt after the incident... because I've been there to... I lost a good friend to me as well because of something similar... and it butchered me alive. When I failed to protect your friends as well as you that day, it ate me from the inside out... it reminded me of the time I failed to protect someone that mattered to me to. No matter what anyone told me about how it wasn't my fault or that how I did the best I could to prevent it from happening... in my mind I had failed. Believe me or not, you are my friend Laura... and I let you down that day at Schwartzer Haze, but instead of trying to confront you about it... all I did was hide my shame and I ended up hurting you. And for that I'm sorry Laura, I really, really am."

Her eyes softened, she never thought Jackson would have had a good enough reason to apologies to her about that day, but she just couldn't come to distrust him, she could tell how serious he was in his voice, he was probably just as hurt as she was about the whole thing. With the sudden mix of emotions she was feeling, she found it too hard to meet the molten gaze of his emerald green eye. The sudden rush of emotions made her feel slightly faint and she stepped back and turned away from him.

"Is that why you came here to the Academy... because you felt bad for me," she said quietly. "And to say you're sorry for what happened?"

She still wasn't getting the point, but she had been paying attention to him, and that was all Jake wanted from her. Now came the real reason he had devoted himself to be by her, with a sudden increase of his heart rate and a burst of courage he quietly walked up to her, until he was only a few mere inches behind her.

"No, thats not it Laura," he said softly reaching up and placing his hand on her shoulder again, she shuddered by the warmth of his hand passing through the thin material of her shirt, and turned around to look up and face him. He brought up his other hand and placed it on the other side of her shoulders and looks down at her, her deep red eyes giving him the most innocent and confused of looks.

"Then what is it, Jake... that's the one thing I have to know? Why are you here?... What is someone like me worth to you?" She asked quietly, her mind swirls with possible thoughts. What was the young Texan was going on about? What has gotten into him? Why was he acting so strangely? Why was he being so open and caring about her so much more than often? What was the reason?

With the molten gaze of his dark green eye locked onto hers, Jackson slides his hands along her shoulders and up the side of her neck unit he cupped her cheeks with both hands. His heart was thumping against his chest as he filled his lungs with air.

"This much." he said softly, and before she had time to react, Jackson closed his eyes and leaned in, pressing his lips against hers. Laura's eyes widened in surprise before letting them flutter shut, she felt his tongue brush across the seam of her lips as he leaned further, forcing her to rest against the door to prevent her from toppling over.

Her lips were so soft, that it tempts Jake to press a little hard against her mouth, his hands slid back down her neck, and he started to gently stroke her shoulder with his thumb. This was why he chose to be the one from FEISAR to join the Academy, this was why he travelled thousands of miles to this school... to him, it was more than just a simple data collection program for his companies benefits, it was to see Laura again, a friend he'd longed to see for so long... he wanted to tell her how he felt about her, but after the incident, it wasn't like he could just call her... but he promised that he'd protect her, because the truth was... he cared about her, and he was convinced that this was how she would have preferred he let her know, there was no doubt in Jake's mind that if she was uncomfortable with this, she would have pushed him away by now.

After a few good long seconds, Jackson finally pulls away when he felt as if his lungs were about to explode, and looks at Laura who still had her eyes shut.

Everything went silent between the them, Jake could only hear the faint beats of his heart in his ear, as he removed his hands from her shoulders.

After what felt like an eternity, Laura's eyes finally open, she looks up at him, not with trepidation, but with a surprised expression. She takes a second to think about what just happened, what Jake was telling her as well as his actions. Then she remembered what Jake said that day in the infirmary.

" _You're worth more to me than you are to your country._ "

And at that moment, something snapped in her mind, and after all that time she spent searching... She found her answer. And before Jake has any time to move, she smiles as she looks up at him, grabs him by the collar of his black muscle shirt and pulls him down, her mouth colliding with his.

Jake tensed up as it was his turn to widen his eyes in surprise before closing them again, he soon felt himself become relaxed when Laura pushes her tongue into his mouth, meeting with his.

He kissed her back with equal pressure and enthusiasm, and she felt his arms slither like a pair of ravenous snakes around her waist, pulling her closer into him, deepening the kiss. Her arms were resting loosely around his neck, as she ran her fingers through his dark red hair.

Jackson felt a rush of warm blood pulse through his hips as his tongue explores deeper into Laura's mouth as he slides his hands down her waist and glides them over the firm muscles of her backside. He squeezes her gently, causing the slightest of moans from the young German girl to buzz against his mouth.

In reaction, Jackson squeezed her a little harder and hoists her up, prompting her to wrap her legs around his hips, giving him goosebumps as Laura wraps her bare legs around him while she finds herself being pressed against the door as Jake continues to kiss her.

He pulled away momentarily for another quick intake of air and then he dove back in to kiss her again and again, reviling in her sweetness, to Jake, her taste was something he could only describe as her own unique and sweet flavour, that he soon came to find extremely addictive.

Laura was breathless and panting by the time he had stopped kissing her and they gaze at each other, the sparkle of raw desire in their eyes.

Jake dived back in to press a kiss to her jaw and dragged his lips down the slope of her neck, sucking harshly against her soft skin, determined to leave lasting marks. He wanted her to know just how crazy he's been driven for her. How badly he wanted to kiss her. That whenever she dressed herself up for whatever duties she has as a Soldier of Schwartzer Haze, he wanted her to see the marks in the mirror and remember how it felt to have her tongue on her skin. He wanted them to be a reason to make it out alive. She wasn't just the friend he made all those years ago to him and he wanted to make sure she knew it.

Laura began to moan quietly and the sound of her voice vibrated inside her throat and against Jake's lips, sending his blood rushing South. He felt her legs sag against him, and realising that his kisses had made her weak at the knees, he graciously decided to help her out. Unwilling to take his mouth off of her Jake slides his hands underneath the hem of her nightshirt, running his finger across the small of her back until he found her bra. He brushed his fingers against the thin material unit he found what he was looking for, the clips on her back, and hooks his thumbs under the hooks.

Jake pulls and tugs at the hooks, and pulls away from her. Laura pouts at him as his tongue leaves her skin.

"Why are you stopping?" She says sounding all innocent looking, Jake smirks at her, he might have kissed her first tonight, but she was the one that went for more, and now she worried because he's stopped for a moment. She never made any sense to him at all. But he never really minded it.

Jake leaned forward, his warm breath ghosts over Laura's ear and sends a slight shiver down her spine, she then hears him whispering.

"I'm not, I'm just dealing with what's in our way." And without warning Jackson yanks on the hooks, Laura feels her bra loosen from around her chest and soon end up as a bundle sitting on her waist. With one arm still holding her up, Jackson uses his free hand and picks her bra off her waist and throws it to the floor.

He wraps his arm around her again and with her back still against the door, he presses her body hard against his, and moves to kiss the other side of her neck. He didn't know whether she gasped at the feel of his hardness rubbing against her through his tracksuits or his tongue brushing against her collar bone. He didn't really care.

With her bra gone Jake could feel how much softer her chest was, and snakes a hand from her back around her waist, slithering his fingers over of her nightshirt and up to her chest. He grazed her breast with his entire palm and stroked her nipple with his thumb until he felt it harden under the thin fabric of her nightshirt. He smirks against her neck when Laura arched her back, pushing herself harder against his hand.

Jake drags his tongue up the nape of her neck, leaving a thin trail of saliva as he plants nipping kisses across her jawline, then with Laura easily supported by the door, he loosens his arms and gently slipped both his hands underneath her nightshirt, caressing and massaging her firm back muscles with his fingertips, causing her to make a delightful humming sound, enticed by the gentle warmth of his hands on her delicate form, slowly working his finger deep into her muscles and turning her into goo. But when Laura softly moaned his name and rolled her hips against his. Jackson's heart jumped a beat, and he removes his hands from her back. He wanted to try something else.

He cups her perfectly sculpted backside with both hands and lifted her off the side of the door, with his head still buried in her neck Jackson turned round and carries her over to the bed, tilting forward and toppling them both onto the soft quilts of his mattress.

Laura Moans at the feel of his bodies weight pressing down on her, and runs her fingers around Jake's waist. With every passing second she was becoming more intoxicated by his touch, she was finding the feeling his kisses and the gentle touch of his hands on her delicate skin, nothing short of sublime, and it was leading her to a state of wanting more. She wanted him to show her this side of him, the side of Jake that only someone he cared about could see, she wanted to feel the blissful pleasures that came with the touch of his hands, the venomous taste of his kisses that was becoming powerless to resist, she wanted all of it. And with that thought spearheading her mind, Laura pulls his muscle shirt over his head, which soon meets her bra on the floor, swiftly followed by her nightshirt.

But then, Jake stalled for a second when he saw something that sent a chill down his spine.

"Laura..." Was the only word Jackson could stutter, as she layed beneath him, completely naked from the waist up... With a large pale scar in the shape of an X running the length of her torso. Laura gazes up at Jake and spots the worried expression on his face, and paused herself for a second... She hadn't yet told him about that mark yet. Unfortunately for her, Jake's healing factor was unable to fully heal that wound as her B.M.I was to low to allow the required amount of healing factor needed to make a full recovery... leaving her permanently scarred. However, she didn't want him to let his guilt ruin the beautiful moment that they were making, and on that thought... her gaze softens as she looks up at Jake.

"What's wrong Jake?" She said with a gentle tone, running her hand up and down the length of his arm as he looks blankly at the scar that marked her fragile body.

"Nothing... its just." Jake trails off as he finds it difficult to take his eye off the scar, a scar that he knew clear as day was a result of his recklessness and weak willpower. He shudders ever so slightly as the memory of how he gave Laura that scar happened during that brutal fight back in the arena, hearing the sadistic chuckle of _Jack_ in his ear, the feel of his burning hot blades ripping into her delicate flesh, and Laura's cries of pain and agony. All of those thoughts crept into his head thanks to the sight of that scar, causing him to turn his head away in shame as he mutters to her.

"It hurts me to be reminded of how badly I hurt you that day I lost control..."

Jake trails off, still feeling consumed of his guilt from hurting her, wishing that he could of gotten control of _Jack_ sooner and prevented it. Laura looks up at Jackson, seeing the guilt and pain in his eyes... causing her gaze to soften even more. She saw how her scar had made Jake react, how it made him feel and how he hated himself for letting her gain such a mark... She was seeing the softer, more venerable side of him... Just like he'd seen in her, and Laura could only give Jake a faint smile as she runs her hand up the slope of his neck and cup his cheek in her hand and bring him back to face her.

"It's okay, Jake." She said softly, stroking his cheek with her thumb, her soft skin and sweet voice sending a faint chill down Jake's back. "You didn't mean to do it... and you don't have to feel guilty for it."

"Laura...I..." Jake was then cut off as Laura silenced him with a finger over his lips.

"Shhhh, No more talking about what happened." She whispered up to him, she didn't want him to let any guilt come over him tonight... she wanted to be at the forefront of his mind, she wanted Jake to not have to think or worry about anything now... She just wanted him to keep going, to show her how he would treat someone that meant something to him in this way. Laura slowly slid her hand round the back of Jake's head, her fingers entangled in his dark red hair as she gazes up at him with a warm smile.

"Come here Jake." She coos as she gently pulls Jakes head down to meet his lips with hers.

Jackson starts to feel his mind becoming a blur, unable to think of anything other than the irresistible sensation of Laura soft kisses peppering his lips, or the taste of her sweetness seeping into him like a poison that he was soon finding himself powerless to refuse... pressing his mouth harder against hers as he loops his arms under her, clamping down on her tightly to hold her as close as he could to him. Laura begins to let out small and faint moans of pleasure from the warmth and weight of Jake's body pushing down on her, smiling against his lips from the sensation of her breasts pressing against the bare flesh of his torso.

Jake smiles as he feels Laura's heart pounding fast and heavily against him as he kisses her, feeling a sense of joy within him at the thought of him being the reason for that... and it encourages him to give her more. Driven by this, Jake pulls away from Laura, a thin string of saliva connecting their tongues as he shifted along side her on the bed and leans in to place a kiss against the slope of her neck, causing her to wince a little as she feels his teeth grazing her soft flesh, like a hungry serpent teasing its prey with its razor sharp fangs. Jackson continues to playfully plant tender love bites along Laura's neck before she feels his tongue move lower as he slithers down her body towards her chest.

Laura's entire body tenses up and she bites her lips as Jake's tongue brushes over her right breast, sending a sharp tingling sensation through her as he stays there. He begins to place warm kisses around her nipple, snaking his hand down to cup her left breast in his entire hand, giving her gentle and playful squeezes. Laura's breathing becomes staggered and heavy as the feeling of Jake's hands and tongue massaging and playing with her chest sends a flurry of mixed feelings through her.

Feelings of bliss and ecstasy.

She had never experienced intimacy or interactions like this with anyone before, finding it nearly impossible to find the words to describe it. It was like the boundaries between her and Jake were slowly melting away and bringing him closer to her than anyone she ever knew. A feeling she could only descried with soft, sweet moans of pleasure and running her fingers through Jake's thick dark red hair as he continues to play with her.

He flicks his tongue over her soft skin, learning from her reactions and how she gripped his hair on where to adjust his movements and continue to give her what she wanted. Laura's shuffles in the bed and entangles her legs with Jake's like a pair of serpents wrapping intimately around one another... and that's when she lets out a faint gasp as she feels the effect that she was causing for Jake rub against her womanhood from behind his tracksuits, sending another sensual tingle to shoot through her body.

Jake could have stayed like this all night, he could have just laid there with her in his bed, kissing her delicate skin and massaging her body with his warm gentle hands... However, it seemed he had crept his way deep into Laura's mind and had given her a sudden change of mind, and before Jake had any time to react, Laura displays some dominance herself and rolls his body over... finding himself pinned underneath her.

"Well... that was sudden." Jake said, not hiding that he was a little surprised by Laura sudden outburst, but Laura just smiles softly at him, her glimmering silver hair tickling his face as she gazes into his eyes.

"I want you to feel as good as I do as well." She said as she cups face in both hands, leaning in to give him a kiss that was deeper than any other they had exchanged.

Jake goes wide eyed as Laura forcefully pushes her tongue past his lips and delves deeper than he expected her to, almost struggling to breath as she dominates his mouth with hers. Laura loses herself in the sensation as she explores Jacksons mouth. It was like his saliva was enriched with his serpent like venom that was sweeping through her entire body, enveloping her with a pleasure induced feverish heat that consumed her with every passing second.

After a few moments before she runs out of air, Laura breaks her kiss with Jake, both of them panting heavily for breath... a thick strand of saliva sticking to their lips as they gaze at one another with raw desire sparkling in their eyes. Laura grins as she dives back in to dominate Jake with another deep and passionate kiss, and this time Jake kisses back with more aggression, looping an arm round and entangling his fingers in her hair to push her into him to deepen the kiss even further.

Laura feels his other hand slither onto her back and travels down her body, causing her to let out a cute little whimper as he glides his hand underneath her bloomers and firmly grasped her butt. Encouraged by her reaction, Jake squeezes her a little harder, digging his fingers in her firm muscles as he continues to fondle her. Laura blushes a little at he feeling of Jake's hand touching her there, feeling her body becoming hot and heavy as she suddenly notices Jake poking her from underneath her hips.

She begins to become a bit braver and starts to slowly grind and rub her hips against Jacksons, causing him to groan from the sensation of him manhood being pushed around under the weight of Laura's body rubbing against him, driving his senses crazy as his blood rushes to his hips. Laura smiles from his reaction, playfully biting his lower lip as she presses even harder against him.

Jackson wriggles and shudders underneath Laura, groaning quietly from the pleasure that was consuming his senses. From deep within him, he felt a spark flicker to life... like a primal and animalistic nature laying dormant inside him had been awoken by Laura... taking control of his mind, driving his desire for her even further. He wanted her to receive his complete undivided attention, he wanted to make her experience feelings of pleasure and ecstasy that no one else could give her, and carve the memories of this night deep into her mind... for her to never forget. And with those thoughts at the forefront of her mind, Jake suddenly coils his round Laura's back and clamps down on her and before she had any time to react... he suddenly rolls both of them over and pins Laura under his body.

"Jackson!" Laura stuttered out of surprise as Jake grabs her wrists and pins them above her head with one hand, but Jake just gives her a small smirk as he said in a low tone.

"Sorry... I just can't help how crazy you make me."

Before Laura could speak and with her hands still restrained by him, Jake dives in to plant his lips on the side of her neck. Laura gasps at the feeling of his teeth pressing firmly against her delicate skin as he kisses her aggressively. With his fee hand, Jake cups Laura's breast, stroking and rubbing her nipple between his fingers, smirking as she shudders against his touch. Soft moans from Laura fill his ears as he drags his tongue in and down her neck, her breathing now becoming heavy and staggered as she gives into Jake's hold on her. His hot breath clings to her skin and before long, she shudders as she notices that Jackson was beginning to mimic the faint hiss of a serpent with every breath he exhales.

Powerless to escape the almost vice like grip he had on her wrists, Laura begins to feel Jake's free hand leave her breasts and slither down her body, gliding over her stomach and blushes heavily as she feels Jake graze his hand over the front of her bloomers, smirking against her neck.

"Seems like you've been enjoying this as much as me as well." He whispers breathlessly into her ear, his breath snaking its way down her neck as he brushes his fingers over the slightly dampened fabric of her underwear, pushing against her heated core from outside her bloomers. Laura gasps in pleasure from his hand touching her there, shaking as another sharp tingle shoots through her womanhood and causes her to softly moan his name, rolling her hips against his hand.

Encouraged by this, Jake bravely slips his hand under the waistband of her bloomers, brushing his fingers over that little spot where he knew she would be most sensitive. Laura inhales sharply at the sensation pulsing through her womanhood, staring wide eyed at the ceiling as Jackson begins rubbing small circles on her, her breathing increasing and her heart pounding as small beads of sweat form on her forehead and roll down her as her hips shudder and twitch against Jakes hand... And when she suddenly moans his name again and clamps her thighs on his hand, Jacksons resolve finally breaks and he loosen his grip on her wrists.

With her hands finally free, Laura places a hand on Jake's chest and begins to run it down his body, brushing her palm over his firm, toned abs before finally slipping under his tracksuits and wrapping her fingers around his arousal. It took effort from Jake to stifle a groan as he feels her hand on him, gasping softly at the skin-to-skin contact, and Laura blushes brightly at the feel of him. Then Jake looks up to meet eyes with her.

"Before you get too comfy, let me take care of these." He said as he shuffles his body down the bed in front of her. Jackson leans in and hooks his thumbs over the waistband of her remaining clothes, then pressed a kiss into her stomach and pulled, removing her bloomers off in one go.

He throws her garments on the floor and kneels in front of her to allow him a second to take in her naked form, and was glad he did. She was a gorgeous sight to behold, her fingers entangled in her long silver hair that ran freely across the bedsheets, her soft ruby eye looking up at him with both innocence and desire sparkling in her, the white light of the moon shining through the open bedroom window casting shadows across her smooth pale skin.

"What's the matter, Jake." Laura asked, causing him to snap out of the trance her form had lured him into. Jake could only smile at her as he speaks honestly to her.

"Laura... you are the most beautiful girl I ever laid eyes on."

Laura's cheeks turn a bright shade of pink, feeling a little flustered by what Jake had said to her, causing him to smile as he joins her back down in the sheets of the bed, hooking his arms under her legs to scoot her towards him. He spreads her legs apart with his hands, caressing the soft underside of her thighs with his fingertips. Edging closer to her hips.

But before he could make his move, Laura sat up and distracted him with kisses, long, deep kisses that made Jake think about the true nature of her feelings for him. He couldn't remember a time when he didn't think back on the time he spent training in disguise around her... remembering how badly he wanted to be more than just a friend to the young German girl, and the way she clung to him now, the way she trembled, made him believe that all she wanted was someone that cared about her as more than just a valued pilot, even though that was who she was made to be. Maybe she had just been waiting for someone like him to make a move.

Jake smiles against her lips and pushes her back down into the bed sheets, reaching up to massage her breast with one hand as he peppers her inner thigh with soft kisses as he finally pushes a finger into her soaking heat.

"Jackson... I..." She whines, squeezing her eyes shut and clenching the sheets in her hands as the mixed rush of sensations wash over her.

"Shhhh." He whispered softly, his order silencing her and she looked up at him. "Just relax Laura, I don't want to just rush into things and hurt you by accident. I want to make sure you're ready before I start."

"Fine... but please don't take forever," said Laura, pouting as she laid her head back again, and Jackson smirks at her. Insist on not being so impatient.

"Besides, You know taking things slow feels good as well," said Mako, as he added a second finger, continuing at his own pace. And when she refused to respond he gently pushed his fingers deeper into her until he reached his last knuckle.

"Maybe a little," she managed breathlessly after a sharp intake of air, she could feel herself wrapping tightly around him, beads of sweat that had been forming at her hairline rolled down her temple. Her palms were curled into tight fists that scrunched the sheets of his bed. It was clear that Laura was enjoying herself. Jake had no doubt in his mind that if this wasn't exactly what she wanted she would have thrown him across the room by now.

Encouraged, he curled his fingers into her soft flesh and slowly began to pump them in and out of her. Jackson puts his tongue on her thigh, and drags it slowly up her leg, leaving a trail of saliva as he moves up the curve of her waist over her stomach, and back to her chest. With one hand busy between her hips, he's now leaning over her as he took her nipple in his mouth and flicked his tongue over it.

Laura's fingers ran through his messy hair to keep him there as she arched her back into him, Jake's free hand reaches over her to play with her other breast, capturing her nipple between his fingers and gently pinched and tweaked her, smirking against her skin as his teasing made her moan in response, he was soon rewarded with a keen cry when his thumb reached to rub small circles on that tiny spot where he knew she would be most sensitive.

"That feel good," Jackson asks, twisting his fingers inside her plush wetness, reviling in her sounds of sweet pleasures as he strokes every noise out of her, like music to his ears.

"Mmmm hmmm," Laura hummed softy while biting her lower lip, her chest heaving as she reached down and pushes his tracksuits down and took hold of him again. Jake doesn't hold back any of his groans as she begins to slide her hand up the length of him.

Though what he was really surprised about was just how drastically the change in their relations had become. No longer than a day ago she was so mad and upset with him about memories of the past that she was driven far enough as to try and murder him out of blind vengeance, now she was touching him in places he never thought she would go, and shamelessly panting as he fingered her into her bed. Not that Jake was complaining. What had happened in the past was now cleared and he had never witnessed a more arousing sight and wondered what other noises he could get her to make.

"Jackson... Please," Laura says softly, as she wrapped her legs around his waist and pulls his pelvis closer to hers. Jake brings his head up to hers, cupping her cheek in his palm and gazing into her soft deep red eye.

"Are you sure," he says, making sure that she herself wasn't just rushing into this. He was met by a Laura keenly nodding her head gently.

"Yes, I'm sure... I want you to do it," Laura says reassuringly as she guided him towards her entrance. Jake smiles at her, and withdraws his fingers to let her line him up. With his dark emerald green eye locked onto her half opened ruby red one, Mako both slowly and gently pushes into her Slick heat.

Laura gasps at the feel of herself stretching around him.

She was so hot and so wet and so tight that it took every ounce of Jake's willpower not to just pound into her with the force of a stampede. This wasn't just any girl; this was Laura, the girl who had come to make him dizzy with emotion. His feelings for her could never be rivalled and he didn't want her to feel like she was an empty, meaningless fuck. The feeling of being separated from her for so long had driven him crazy for years about her and he was so goddamn mad for her. Doing this with her in his room at this time of night knowing Ichika could show up after training at any given time was proof enough for that.

His lips find their way back to her neck, tasting the sweat that had rolled down her jawline as Laura whimpers against his ear. Then, without any notice... Jackson said the unimaginable to her.

"I love you, Laura," he whispered into her neck so quietly that she almost didn't hear it. She stopped him with a hand on his chest, looking at him with pure emotion and teary eyes. "Wh. . . What did you say?" She asked with a gasp, searching his face for answers.

"I love you." He repeated and Jake crashed his lips against hers. "Being forced to part ways with you for so many years without even getting to tell you how I felt for you has had me going crazy." His lips went to her neck again as his hands took hers, entwining their fingers together. "Ever since then... despite everything I have done working for FEISAR... All I've been able to do is think about is you."

They fell into a gentle cadence, Laura whimpered against him as she wrapped her arms around his neck, while he held himself above her with both hands clenching the bedsheets either side of her head. But Laura still couldn't get over what Jake had just recently said, to hear someone talk that way to her, to be so open and honest with their feelings for her... just sounded too good to be true.

"You really mean it," she said breathlessly, trying so hard not to cry from joy. Jackson could see the emotion in her soft red eye, and pressed his lips on hers slowly kissing her with all his passion and held back feelings.

"Of course I do, and I'm gonna prove it to you tonight," He softly whispers against her lips, his hot breath clinging to her skin. And he did, despite his inner primal drive being awoken... instead of using rough and animalistic thrusts, he was slow and methodical drawing every feeling and sense for both of them in the process. This wasn't a make up session because of the what's happened in the past few, nor was this an emotionless shag. Jackson had become hell-bent on Making Love to Laura.

After what felt like only a few minutes of sensual strokes, Jake then suddenly scooped her up in his arms and rolled her over with him, and sat up. Laura was now straddling his lap as he kept her body pressed tightly against his, a thin layer of sweat coated them as their skin slipped and rubbed against each other.

Laura smiles at him and uses the change of position to start grinding her pelvis against his while pushing her chest up against his as well. Jackson digs his fingers into the firm muscles of her backside, the combined feeling of her sweat drenched body rubbing against his, along with the sensation of her soft, warm, tight, wet heat grinding up and down his member driving into a state of sensual overload.

They both knew they wouldn't last long in this position.

So their pace gradually increased, and their moans slowly became louder, Jake buries his head into her neck and brushed his tongue against her pale skin, grasping her backside tighter as they found themselves on the edge of their peaks.

"Jackson... I... I..." Laura was finding it hard to speak as she feels the sensation in her womanhood begin to rapidly intensify. It was fortunate for Laura the dorms of the IS academy were actually well soundproofed for privacy reasons, so she didn't have to worry about holding anything back as her climax finally hit.

Laura cries out his name as she digs her fingernails into his back, riding the intense waves rippling through her body. Feeling her soft heats waves of contractions wrapping tightly around his hardness, and the sting of her nails digging into his skin almost sent Jackson over the edge as well, but he holds strong and pulled back just as Laura collapses back down onto the bed, coating her stomach in his love and essence before collapsing back down to the bed next to her.

She lies boneless next to him, their chests heaving and seeing stars as they both came back down from their individual highs.

As they laid there quietly, Laura nestles the side of her face against Jake's neck.

After what seemed like hours, and the room had become so silent that they could hear a pin drop, Jake tilted his head up. His hand cupped her cheek and he looked up at her, soft smiling face. "Was that proof enough?" He whispered.

"I believe you." She whispered back softly.

Jake smiles at her brightly, feeling a sense of joy in hearing her say that, gaining one back from her before he looks down at her... letting off a small chuckle.

"Might have made a bit of a mess there." He chuckles, causing Laura to look down at her stomach which was now coated in Jake's essence

"A little..." She giggles as she sits up next to him. "I'm gonna need to go wash off."

"Me to." Said Jackson as he gets up to.

Laura tries to get out of bed to go to the bathroom, however Jake noticed that she was still weak and aching from earlier.

"Here, let me help you." He said kindly to her as he gets up and scoops her up into his arms.

Laura blushes a little as Jake carries her in his arms like a princess and into the bathroom. For the next few minutes they just stand their in the shower, washing the sweat and essence of each other off their bodies and quietly embracing each others warmth and gentle touch as the hot water pours down onto them. When they were done, Jake dries Laura off with his towel before drying himself off and kindly offers her a pair of his boxers to wear as he replaces his own and tosses both their previous pairs of garments into the wash basket.

"Jake" He then heard Laura say quietly and turns back round face her.

"Yes Laura?" He asked, noticing that Laura seemed to be rather shy, twiddling her fingers as if she was embarrassed to say what was on her mind... but then she looks up to meet eyes with Jake as she softly spoke.

"I don't want to go back to my room tonight... I want to stay with you... is that okay?"

He knew that was a dangerous thing to allow and that it was safer to ask Laura to go back to her room before she got caught sneaking around the dorms late at night, or better yet caught after blatantly ignoring the rule regarding intimacy and sexual behaviour between students of the Academy and leave both of them to suffer the wrath of Miss. Orimura should she ever find out what happened between them tonight... But as Jake looks down at her, her sweet and innocent gaze melting away at him as she openly admitted in wanting to stay with him... He just smiles softly at her with joy. Consequences be damned, she wasn't going nowhere.

"Of course, its perfectly okay." He said kindly, causing Laura to smile brightly at him as she stepped forward and embraced him in a warm hug.

Jake smiles back and wraps his arms around her, picking her up and gently laying her in his bed. He scoots along next to her and pulls the sheets over them, wrapping his arms around her and stroking her hair to chide her to sleep.

"I love you Laura." Jake said softly into her ear, causing her to tighten her embrace on him.

"I... I love you to Jake." She whispers quietly, her words making Jake's heart skip a beat. "I'm... I'm sorry for hurting you."

Jake strokes her hair gently as he presses a light kiss against her forehead.

"As am I... but don't worry... it's in the past now, and all that matters... is us." He said softly.

Before long the two of them fall into a blissful sleep, no longer where their minds filled with painful memories of what has happened between them in the past, but instead filled with loving feelings and emotions for each other, created by what has happened between them tonight. A smile graced Jake's face as he passed out, curled up with the girl he had fallen in love with all those years ago, finally able to have shown her how much she meant to him... and with one thought in his mind.

(I promise I will protect you for the rest of my life.)


	25. The Uncovering

Ichika yawns loudly as the shimmering beams of sunlight peeping through the blinds force him awake. Still in a groggy state he sits up in his bed, groaning as he felt his body aching from head to toe.

"Urhg... I wish Houki wasn't so insistent on going all out." He mutters as he looks at his arms that were covered in bruises. It had been a rough session of Kendo training last night and had been unable to return to his room to sleep till much later in the afternoon. He remembers that he was met with the lights of his room all off and assumed that Jackson had retired to sleep long before him and had to undertake the struggle of trying to change, shower and get to his bed all without waking up his roommate. He glances over to Jake's bed and sees that he was still fast asleep with his back turned to him.

"Huh... guess he's a heavier sleeper than I thought." Ichika said quietly to himself as he gets out of bed and decided to use the shower while it was vacant.

Still remaining as quiet as he could as not to disturb Jake, Ichika goes into the bathroom and starts preparing for another day in the Academy. After his shower and changing into a clean pair of boxers and muscle shirt, Ichika hears a rustle behind him and turns back to see Jake yawning as he finally wakes up himself.

"Morning, JJ." Said Ichika.

"Morning." Jake replies, rubbing his eye to clear his blurred vision as he sits up in bed, however as he did so... Ichika noticed something.

"Errrr, Jake... Were you doing some combat training as well last night?" He asked, causing Jake to raise his brow at him in confusion.

"Say what?" He said, unsure of what Ichika was talking about.

"Well... its just your neck is all bruised up. I thought you might have been training as well." Ichika then said as he points at Jake's neck.

It took a second for Jake to process what he just heard Ichika say to him... however the moment those words sunk in, a light bulb in Jake's head flashes and he grabs his phone and uses his camera to look at his reflection and goes wide eyed at what he saw... The slope of his neck on both sides were peppered with small bruise like marks that he instantly remembers how he got.

"Uh oh... not good." He silently mutters to himself.

He remembers exactly how those marks were given to him, during last night with Laura when they expressed their true feeling for each other... and the sight of them sends a slight chill down his spine as he remembers the feeling of her lips sucking harshly against his neck felt. Then he glanced back to see Ichika still looking at him waiting for an answer on where those marks came from. Jake quickly rakes through his brain for an escape... there was no way he was going to tell Ichika what really happened last night and quickly uses his own assumption to his advantage.

"Uh, yeah... it was training, I was sparring with Tatenashi and well... she got a bit rougher than I expected." Jake lies, hoping that Ichika would take the bait.

"... Sounds about like her to honest, I just hope she didn't overdo it on you." Ichika said, falling for Jake's lie. "Anyway, I'm quickly gonna brush my teeth and then you can use the shower, Jake... We don't want to be late for class to start."

"Agreed." Jake answers and on that note, Ichika walks past him and goes into the bathroom. As soon as he was sure he was gone, Jake placed a hand on his chest as he lets out a huge sigh of relief.

"Oh man... that was a close one." He quietly said to himself, feeling glad to see that Ichika had fallen for it and that he was safe.

"Must've been one heck of a workout huh, JJ."

Jake jolts as he's startled by Tohka's voice and turns to see that she had reappeared in front of him and was sitting on the side of Ichika's bed in her IS pilot style suit... with a rather crafty smirk on her face.

"Come again, Tohka?" Jake asked, unsure if she was going along with her lie or just messing with him.

"Oh nothing, I gotta say though, Jake... I'm surprised your awake right now... you only had like, what four hours sleep last night." Tohka said as she turns to look at the time on Jake's PC setup sitting on the desk. Jackson just stares blankly at her, his expression showing clearly that he had absolutely no clue what she was going on about.

"What the heck are you on about, Tohka?" He said to her in a confused tone... and Tohka just smiles brightly at her pilot.

"I'm just saying... you need to be careful you don't over exhaust yourself, Jake... After all... you used up a lot of energy last nigh... _Training._ " Tohka said, using her fingers to emphasise that last word of her sentence.

"What are you... Wait..." Jackson suddenly froze as he begins to think that Tohka was somewhat aware of what really happened... and then it finally sunk in and he felt his heart freeze as he glances past Tohka and up at the ceiling.

At her holo-projetor/security cameras.

"Oh... dear... god... no." He stuttered in sheer disbelief.

In the heat of everything happening last night, he had completely forgotten to deactivate those projectors... because they weren't just a means to allow Tohka to appear and disappear from the room... they were also her hidden eyes and ears of the room. Jake swallows dryly as he turns back to Tohka, who wasstill sitting on the side of Ichika's bed twiddling her thumbs and humming a sweet melody to herself.

"Tohka... how much did you see?" Jake stutters, daring himself to ask a question he was pretty sure he wasn't going to like the answer. Tohka looks back up at him, and at that joint, that crafty and mischievous smirk of hers reappears as she quietly get up from the bed and steps towards him. Jake sat motionless on his bed as the virtual girl leans forward until her lips ghost over his ear as she quietly whispers.

 _"Everything."_

Jackson inhales sharply at her voice gently passing his ear. This was bad... real bad... He couldn't believe stupid he was for forgetting about those devices and that he basically gave Tohka an undisturbed view of every little detail about what happened last night. Jackson buries his face in his palms in sheer embarrassment and shakes his head... the last person he could think of that he ever wanted to know about what happened was Tohka and just knew that there was no way she was gonna let this one go.

"My oh my Jake... you're such a heart throb." Tohka sais to him in a cute and woozy voice, giggling as she places her hands on her chest and acting as if she herself was seduced by the actions and words that she saw and heard last night. "I always knew you were hiding some kind of feelings for Miss. Bodewig... but I never imagined that those feelings could ever turn so... _Explicit_."

Tohka giggles as she teases Jake with her words, causing him to just slowly look up at her and reveal a rather angered expression on his face as he points and accusing finger right at her.

"Don't even start." Jake ordered her through gritted teeth. However Tohka just seems to chuckle at him despite how mad he seemed to be.

"Oh come now Jake, lighten up." She said to him with a smirk.

"Lighten up?!... How the hell am I so to Lighten up when you know something like that." Jake snaps, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration.

(Bradada dada Bradada dada)

Jackson and Tohka both become distracted by a sudden ringing sound and turn to see that it was coming from his PC System... Someone was trying to call him through Skype.

"Huh, I wonder who that is?" Tohka said in curiosity.

As curious as her, Jackson gets up and walks over to his computer and leans forward to see the caller ID on the screen, However as soon as he does he begins to feel a cold sweat pour on him as he realises who it was.

"Oh no..." He said as he plants a hand on his forehead... of all the times, this had be the worst one possible. After seeing his reaction, Tohka gets up and peers over his shoulder, and couldn't help but grin sarcastically as she reads the name on the caller ID.

(Lola Russell)

"Oh... this oughta be good." She chuckles... fully aware that it wasn't ideal for Jake to be answering a call from one of his Squadron members knowing that Laura was still sleeping soundly in his bed. Jake turns back and glares at Tohka.

"I swear to god, Tohka... if you snitch, I will mute you for a month." He snapped, but Tohka just casually holds her hands up at him and steps back... more focused on wanting to see how Jake was going to handle this situation than the threat he just made to her.

Jackson takes a seat in front of his computer and breathes heavily, every voice in his head telling him that this was a dangerous idea, a bad idea and for the love of all things holy... not to screw this up or nothing but tormenting jokes and pestering from his Squadron would swiftly follow. He grabs an old towel and places it over his neck to makes the love bites that Laura had left on him and turns back to the Skype call that was still buzzing on his screen... and with one last moment to muster up his bravery, he moves the cursor over and answers the call.

"Hello." He said as a screen pops up in front of him.

"Jay Jaaaaaaay, How've you been?" A brunet girls said brightly and eagerly to him.

"Ah... Lola, haven't heard from you for a bit." Jake said to his second in command, then quickly raises a brow at her as he eye glances over the fact that she was only dressed in a thin nightshirt that barley seemed to fit her and panties. "Couldn't you have gotten a little better dressed than that before calling."

"What... this is my nightwear... I was just about to go to sleep and thought maybe I'd check up on you." Lola said with a pout, seemingly disappointed that, that was the reaction she got out of Jake for trying to show off her appeal to him... however she soon gives him a little giggle as she leans towards the screen, squeezing her breasts between her arms as she speaks to Jake.

"Besides... I know you're only saying that because you can't bare to be so far away from me when I tease you." She giggles.

Jackson just stares blankly at her and pinches his nose in frustration... was she only just calling him just to play her games with him again. He sighs heavily as he turns back to look at the young girl looking at him with seducing eyes as she giggles at him.

"Haven't changed a goddamn bit... Eh, Lola." He simply said in a low and bothered tone, then hears another giggle behind him.

"Hehehe... and that's why I love her." Said Tohka as she shows next to Jake and leans her butt against the side of his deck before turning her head to look at Lola and give her a playful wink. "Sup girl."

Lola smiles brightly at the holographic girl sitting next to Jake, feeling glad to see her virtual friend once again after a while. "Tohka... good to see you again, hope Jakes been looking after you over there."

"Humph... He hasn't been too bad, but I wish he'd let me out like this more often... its so cramped and lonely in that data module." Tohka said in a somewhat sad tone, pretending to be upset with this. Lola just looks at Jake with and shakes her head at him, playing along with the crocodile tears Tohka was putting on.

Jackson just looks blankly at Lola, then turns to Tohka.

"Hey... I keep you in there for my own safety... because after the last time I introduced you to the class, lord knows what other rumours you would spread about the place for those girls if I let you run freely." He said, clearly not buying Tohka's act and stating the very reason he keeps her away from the prying ears of the Academy. Tohka sighs heavily and folds her arms at Jackson.

"Oh come on Jake... you still haven't let that go... all I wasn't gonna say anything strange or embarrassing... only how big your muscles were." She said with a giggle towards the end of her sentence, causing Jake to raise a brow at her as he leans back in his chair.

"Huh... I wonder what muscles in particular you were gonna tell them." He said bluntly.

Tohka holds her hands behind her back and glances away from him... and when Jake notices her struggling to hold back a smirk on her lips, it doesn't take long to think of what she was probably going to have said and points an accusing finger up at her.

"And that's the very reason why I'm not taking that risk in letting you run rampant around the campus." He said bluntly, causing Lola to laugh a little at him.

"Ah Jake... You need to learn to loosen up a bit more." She chuckles as she picks up her glass of milk that she had placed next to her keyboard.

"With you lot I have for a Squadron... I'm struggling to see how that is possible." He said bluntly.

Lola didn't say anything, instead she just gives him a faint chuckle as she brings her glass up to her lips and takes a mouthful... however as she did, she glances past Jake and saw something that shocked her so badly that she goes wide eyed and uncontrollably sprays milk out of her mouth, her screen going white as she hits her webcam.

"Huh?! What happened there Lola... your milk sour?" Jake chuckles as he watches her frantically try and wipe her screen clean to see again.

Suddenly Jake heard a rustling noise behind him.

"Mmmmmmmmmmmhhhhh... Is it morning already."

At that moment, Jackson felt his heart skip a beat as he recognises that voice and turns his head back in the direction of his bed.

Laura had woken up and was sitting up in his bed, rubbing her eyes and clearly still tired. Thankfully for Jake at least his sheets were still wrapped around her to hide her mostly naked form from Lola's prying eyes... but it was still very bad for him to know that she can at least see that their is a girl in his bed. Jake turns back to Lola to see that she had become speechless and was just darting her eyes between Jake and the silver haired girl that he could see... unable to process what she was seeing.

"Jake..." She was about to say, before Jackson starts waving his hands at her to try and explain everything before she blew it out of proportion.

"Now, now... Lola... its not what you may be thinking it is." He said, blatantly lying to himself as was pretty sure his second in command knew exactly what it was that happened.

"Yo Jake... Showers all yours now bud."

Jackson and Lola are momentarily distracted when they hear a male voice in the background and Jackson turns round to his discomfort to see that Ichika had walked out of the bathroom now.

"Uh oh..." He mutters under his breath as he soon realises the gravity of the situation sitting in. Laura was awake... in his bed... and in sight of Ichika, Lola and Tohka.

"What you up to JJ?" Ichika asked as he walks over to him, somehow completely missing Laura behind him as he looks over his shoulder to see Lola on the screen. "Who's that?"

"That's Lola... my second in command." Jake said with a heavy sigh as he mentally prepares himself for this power keg of a situation to go off at any given moment. "She decided to give us a surprise call."

"Oh... That's nice, Hello Lola, its nice to meet one of Jakes squad members." Ichika said with a smile as he greets the girl on the screen, however he soon picks up on her expression and turns to Jake.

"Why does she looked so shocked?" He asks him, and Jake could only sigh to himself as he literally has no words to describe how his roommate was still oblivious to what was going on.

"Jake... where'd you go."

Ichika is startled when he suddenly hears a female voice behind him and turns around to see a silver haired friend on his in Jakes bed. Still rubbing her eyes with one hand she was brushing her other hand across the sheets to find Jackson, but had come to find that there was no sign of him... Meanwhile Jake buries his head in his hands as he mentally counts down in his mind.

"Ohhhhh here it comes." He mutters as Ichika goes wide eyed.

"L-Laura! What are you doing here... and why are you in Jake's bed?" Ichika stutters, shocked to find that Laura had once again sneaked onto his room without him knowing and was worrying in case someone else walks in and sees her.

"Huh?!" Laura yawns as her blurry vision finally clears... but as she looks forward, the first thing she sees is Ichika staring blankly in shock at her, Jake sitting in his chair behind him pinching his nose in frustration and Tohka leaning against the desk beside the two boys with her arms folded and smirking at her.

Because of the groggy state she was still in, it took Laura a few seconds to fully take in what was happening, and hadn't noticed that her grip on the sheet around her had loosened, causing them to slide down and expose her bare chest. Ichika swallows dryly as Laura quickly starts realising what's happening and then looks down at her to see how much of her was on show for Ichika. And with a sudden rush of blood to her head her cheeks go bright pink as she cries out in embarrassment.

"DON'T LOOK AT ME YOU PERVERT!" She screams as she grabs one of Jakes pillows and launches it at Ichika out of instinct.

"GWAGH!" Ichika grunts as the pillow strikes him in the face and knocks him back by the force of her throw.

"DAH SHIT!" Jake groans as Ichika is launched back and crashes into him, knocking him off his chair and the two boys crash into the floor in a twisted mass of limbs.

"Oooooooooooh, that looked like it hurt." Tohka mutters as she looks at two boys all sprawled across the floor and groaning in pain, then turns back to Laura as she covers her chest in on arm and points an accusing finger at Ichika.

"How dare you gawk at me in this state, Ichika." She scorns, her cheeks still blushing in embarrassment. "My body is for Jackson's eyes only."

"Huh... what are you on about, Laura?" Ichika groans as he lays on the floor, his face aching from being struck by what felt like a brick more than a pillow to him.

Tohka looks down at Jackson and snickers as she watches him cover his face in his hands and inhales heavily, knowing that what she just said was most likely heard by Lola. Reaching up, Jake grabs the ledge of his desk and claws his way back up, groaning from the aching pain he was feeling after being flattened by Ichika. He kneels next to his desk and rests his head on the counter as he looks back at Lola, who was to no surprise to him now holding her hands over her mouth in disbelief.

"Is there any point in me trying to hide it anymore?" He said bluntly to her, accepting that the jig was up and she that here assumptions on what happened was now confirmed no thanks to Laura.

"Oh... My... God..." Was all he could hear Lola say from behind her hands, sighing heavily as she suddenly lets out a squeal of joy and excitement, unable to contain herself from what she had just uncovered about her squad leader. "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god... Jackson, I don't believe this... its about bloody time."

"Yeah, yeah enjoy the view Lola because you sure as hell wont see it again." Jake huffs, shaking his head at her as he watches her bouncing up and down in her seat in pure excitement.

"Oh man... you're right... wait right here. I gotta get the others, there's no way I'm letting them miss this." Lola suddenly said, causing Jake to go wide eyed in shock as he realises what she was going to go do.

"WHAT! Oh no you don't, Lola don't you dare tell them." Jake snapped as he points at his screen, ordering his second in command not to do that. However it was too late as by the time he finished speaking, Lola had jumped up from her seat and was dashing for her door... calling out as loud as she could.

"SYN, MIMI, FREYA... GET UP! YOU'RE NOT GONNA BELIEVE THIS... JAKE FINALLY BECAME A MAN!"

Jake is left with his mouth agape in disbelief of what was happening to him now... and with no time to waste while Lola was gone, he disconnects from the call and quickly shuts down his computer system to prevent her from calling him back again. Jackson sighs loudly as he buries his head in his arms on his desk, and was pretty sure he could hear Tohka snickering in the background in amassment and whilst he wasn't looking, she pans away and looks up into open space... as if she was looking up to an unseen audience that had been watching the whole thing happening with her.

"You know what I love about Echii Anime's." She mutters at the unseen audience. "The fact that this kinda part never gets old."

"Who are you talking to Tohka?" She heard Jackson say whilst his head was still buried in his arms.

"Oh... no one, Jake." She chuckles as she walks up and leans on the desk beside him. "One heck of a way to start the day, Huh."

Jackson just slowly looks up at her to reveal the displeased expression on his face as he spoke.

"Not the kinda way I would have liked to started my day."

* * *

After the events during that morning... the rest of the day for Jake was far from being considered eventful in any way.

Mercifully for him, Charlotte had unknowingly done him a huge favour by stopping by his room to drop Laura's uniform off. She was clearly aware that her roommate and good friend had been in Jake's room all night but thankfully for him was unaware of anything that had happened during that time and figured that it would be a lot easier for Laura to just get changed in Jakes room and wait till most of the students had left for the cafeteria to avoid raising any suspicion... Something Jake wasn't going to argue against in any way.

He decided the best thing to do was to leave her to change while he and Ichika made an early leave to the cafeteria and said to meet up there.

Jackson and Ichika sat beside one another casually minding their own business as they ate their breakfast. Although, every now and then... Ichika would glance over at Jake to see him twiddling his spoon in his fingers, wondering what was going through the young Texan's head. Going from past experience, he could only assume that it must've been quite a shock for his roommate to find Laura curled up in his bed while he was sleeping... and from the reaction he saw coming from Jake after his second in command had seen the whole ordeal, he could confidently assume that wasn't something Jake wanted to happen either and was probably contemplating on the thoughts of what kind of rumours were spreading amongst his squadron back at his home base overseas.

After a rather quiet breakfast, the two boys made their way to class to join the rest of the Academy.

Class went on as per normal, however... as Ichika was focusing on his own classwork, it was undenounced to him that Jackson who was sitting behind him was starting to feel his tiredness take a hold of him and was struggling to stay awake, his head bobbing up and down slightly as he begins to space out... until his head drops down the point where his hat masks his face, making it look as if he was just focussing on his work rather than the fact that he had passed out.

"Would you like to answer this one, Jake?" Miss. Yamada asks, turning her attention to Jake as she picked him as a volunteer to answer a question on the topic that they were studying... but as she looks up at Jake... she was met with the sight of him looking down, not even budging after hearing her call him.

"JJ...?" Ichika then asked as he turns back to try and get Jake's attention. "You got called up... what's wrong?"

With his hat hiding his face, Ichika was just as unaware that Jackson was past out... and when he turns back to the front of the class, even Ichika could feel a cold sweat starting as he sees the displeased look on Chifuyu's face.

"JACKSON!" Chifuyu suddenly shouted out, her voice startling everyone in the class... and right through Jake's head.

"Huh, Wah, What!?" Jake stutters in confusion after suddenly hearing his name being shouted and shot up from his chair and raises his fists in defence. "Are we under attack?!"

Jake readies for a fight... but after a few seconds, he couldn't help but feel embarrassed as he realises he wasn't under attack... instead standing in the middle of the class with everyone looking directly at him, some girls giggling a little in amusement from his outburst. Jake lowers his fists and sighs heavily as he realised that he had passed out and was just imagining things and slouches back into his chair... then glances over to see Chifuyu glaring straight at him with her arms folded.

"I know this is probably something you already covered thanks to you training from FEISAR .Inc... however that doesn't mean you can slack off during class, Jackson." She said sternly, causing Jake to tip his hat to her.

"Apologies Ma'am... Its never my intention to slack, however I'm struggling a little today... I had a problem trying to sleep last night." Jackson carefully bluffs, making sure that whilst explaining the cause of his problem... he didn't accidentally spill any oil on the fire and blow things out of proportion like it did in his room earlier this morning.

Chifuyu looks at Jake for a second and could only sigh at the young Texan, at least he was honest and that was enough her to give him the benefit.

"You spend too much time training." She said through a sigh, and Jake could only chuckle as he shrugs his shoulders at her.

"I wouldn't be at the level I'm at now if I didn't train as hard as I do." He said brightly... glad to see that he dodged trouble there and reached for his water bottle.

However as he raises the bottle to his lips... Ichika said something.

"Yeah... and it probably wasn't comfortable for you, trying to sleep while sharing your bed with Laura." He chuckles.

His words spread fast around the room and in a mere second... everyone in the class gasps in shock form what they just heard

"WHAAAAAAT!" The entire class scream in unison.

Jackson on the other hand, upon hearing that goes wide eyed and was unable to stop himself from spraying a mouthful of water out of him with the force of a pressure washer on overdrive and sprays Ichika over the back of his heard, the force of the water hitting him was so great that Ichika's head is forced forward and smashes his forehead off his desk.

"OWWW?!" He grunts as he clutches his head to try and sooth the sharp pain he was now feeling.

At this moment, Tohka makes her appearance thanks to the mini-holographic projector on Jakes blazer and stands on Jakes desk in her miniature form, her eye widened with shock and her hands over her mouth as she stares at the dim-witted Ichika.

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh Ichika, you did not just say that out loud." She said from behind her hands, unable to believe that Orimura was that stupid as to blurt out something like that right in front of the class.

The entire class was silent, everyone holding back any cries and squeals and instead all just stare directly at Jake, the many gazes of everyone around him boring through him at all angles. Miss. Yamada was stuttering her words as she tries to demand an answer from Jake on whether this was true or not, but her words were just a jumbled mess of gibberish as the thought of two of her students sharing a bed together was playing visions and images in her head that was making it hard for her to maintain her composure... Miss. Orimura on the other hand, slowly turns her head to look at Laura... who was quietly trying to stay out of this in her little spot near the side of the class.

"Miss. Bodewig... is that true." She asked in a demanding tone.

Laura was startled by her and within a mere second, all eyes turned to her as everyone eagerly waited to hear her answer. Laura's eyes dart in all directions but couldn't seem to find anywhere where someone wasn't staring straight at her and her hands began to shake in embarrassment... and when Miss. Orimura asks her again, her cheeks begin to blush a bright shade of red as she bites her lower lip shut.

It was pretty clear to everyone by that point, if it wasn't true then she would have said no straight away... but after seeing that embarrassed expression that she couldn't hide... the way her hands shook and that red tinge to her cheeks... it was clear she had been caught off guard and her bashfulness had prevented her from mustering up her poker face to lie about it.

What Ichika said... was true.

And on that sudden realisation... the class erupted with the squeals and cries of girls going crazy over what they had learned.

"OH MY GOD! LAURA AND JACKSON-KUN SAHRED A BED." One girl cries out like a fangirl.

"I DON'T BELIEVE! WHAT A LUCKY GIRL!" Another adds in.

"WAIT... DOES THAT MEAN THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE..." One girl suddenly said, causing more to scream and go all starry eyed and drool at the thought.

"DON'T SAY THAT! MY MIND CAN'T HANDLE SUCH THOUGHTS!" One screams, shaking her head along with a group of girls to try and stop an overwhelming wave of lewd thoughts and images between the two students from overcoming them.

Cries, screams and gossip like that soon spread around the class like a wild fire and Ichika couldn't help but feel a little guilty for dropping Jake into this and rubs the back of his head as he turns back to face his roommate.

"Errrrr, sorry Jake I think I might have said something wro- Gijizaha!"

Ichika froze and begins to sweat in fear as he looks back at Jake to see the most pissed off expression he had ever seen on his face. Jackson's fists were clenched so tight that he'd crushed his water bottle in his bare hand, his emerald green eye was piercing through him with a glint of green fire in his look, a thick black and red Ora was radiating from his body and he was breathing through tightly gritted teeth that showed two razor sharp fangs and his breath so heavy that it sounded like an angry hiss of a provoked serpent.

"You... blithering, brainless, thick skulled, DUNDERHEAD!" Jake growls in anger... but just before he could reach up and wrap a hand around Ichika's neck to strangle him... a large book flies past Orimura and smacks Jake straight in the face.

"DAH FUCK!" He grunts as he is sent flying back and his chair topples as he crashed to the ground.

Jackson clutches his head as he feel a warm trickle of blood seep from his nose after that hit he just took... and before he could get up, he is pushed back down and winded as a foot is planted firmly against his chest, and that was when the class goes silent as Jake looks up and starts to sweat himself as he sees am infuriated Miss. Orimura standing over him.

"Oh you've done it this time Jake." She scorns at him as she cracks her knuckles. "So I take it the whole training thing was a lie... The Academy has a strict rule against the act of intimacy between students... a rule I thought you wouldn't be stupid enough to break."

By this point most of the class had back all the way up to the wall to try and get as far away as possible from the impending meteor that was bound to strike where Jake was pinned, some of the girls even worrying about him for his life's sake.

"Mentor... permission to speak." Laura said, trying to defend Jackson from a cruel fate, but instead was met with the same death glare that Chifuyu had given him and sends a shiver down her spine.

"Permission denied... and I will be dealing with you as well when I'm done with Jake here." Miss. Orimura scorned, forcing Laura to keep quiet and back away from sight within the group.

Jackson squirms and struggles against Chifuyu's grasp, but her foot was planted firmly on him and he was unable to move as she leans in and picks her attendance book off the floor and glares at Jake.

"Any last words Jake." She said as she raised the book above her head, causing Jake to go wide eyed in fear as he quickly racks his brain for an escape plan... and at the last second before he was struck down, he used his last breath to shout out.

"WAIT, WAIT... IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK, I CAN EXPLAIN... DON'T KILL ME!"

Chifuyu stops her swing right as the book was about to strike Jake, causing his heart to skip a beat as he sees how close he was to being pumbled. Chifuyu lifts her book away from him and stares straight at him.

"you have one minute... so speak." She ordered.

"It was about the incident a couple of days ago... remember." Jake said, causing Chifuyu to raise a brow at him.

"What about it?" She asked... unsure of what Jake was getting at here.

"Remember what I said to Laura... right before I left?" Jake then said.

Chifuyu lowers her book as she takes a second to think back on those last moments Jake spent in that room before he left... then remembers that last thing he said before he left.

"Yeah... I remember what you said, but what's that got to with this?" She asked, still not sure how exactly Jackson was planning on avoiding a beating from her with this plan of approach.

"Look... Laura came to my room because she couldn't understand what I meant by that." Jake said, struggling for the breath to speak under the weight of Chifuyu's foot pressing down on him. "She wanted to know the truth behind my words... so I took the opportunity to have a long talk with her and explain everything... to help put that incident behind us once and for all so that it may never happen again."

Chifuyu took a second to think about what Jake just said... and in a way to her, it made sense... after what had happened and considering she personally knew the reason behind what Jake meant by those words he shared with Laura... she could understand that Laura would become confused by that and probably seek answers from Jake herself. It seemed like everything Jake was saying was true, but there was one more thing she had to ask him.

"Okay... so maybe that's true... but that still doesn't explain why Ichika just said you were sharing your bed with her, and probably doing something against Academy rules knowing you Jake." She said, causing Jake to huff at the last part of her sentence.

"That didn't happen." Jake bluffs. "It was late in the night... and Laura was extremely tired after I had finally finished explaining things to her and I didn't want to just evict her from the room and risk her passing out in the hall."

Chifuyu raises her brow at Jake.

"So..." She said, urging Jake to continue.

"Look... Call me insane, but the gentleman in me didn't like doing that, so I offered her my bed to sleep in... I slept outside the sheets on the end of the bed out of the way." Jake then said.

Chifuyu looks down at him for a moment, trying to imagine what he just described would have looked like, then turns to where Laura was hiding within the group of students.

"Is that true, Miss. Bodewig?" She asked.

Laura moves to the front of the group so Miss. Orimura could see her as she faintly nods her head at her.

"Y-Yes mentor... that is correct." She said timidly, causing some of the girls in the background to make a cute Aww~ sound after hearing such a gentlemanly thing being done for her by Jake. Chifuyu was silent for a second as she takes the time to think her next move through... and sure enough, it seemed that reasoning had gotten through to her as she sighs heavily, removing her foot from Jake's chest.

"Alright, Jake... you got lucky this time." She said as she walks away from him, leaving Jake to heave a sigh of relief.

"Thank you lord, Thank you Jesus, thank you thank you thank you." He whispers to himself as he placed his hand on his chest in relief before finally clawing himself back up.

After dealing with once again another unneeded ordeal like that, class continued on as per normal until the bell chimed to indicate lunch time.

Jackson held back for a few minutes after the bell, using the time to wipe the dried blood from his nose after being hit by Chifuyu's infamous book... when he sees Laura walk up to him.

"Hey." She said timidly, gaining a smile from Jake.

"Hey there... well, it sure has been an interesting morning hasn't it." He chuckles as he wipes the blood that stained his upper lip away.

"Yeah... sorry I froze earlier in class earlier, I wasn't sure what to do." Laura said, shying away from Jake, feeling somewhat guilty that she hesitated like that earlier and got Jake into more trouble.

Then she heard Jake chuckle as he got up from his seat and wraps his arms around her waist to pull her into him.

"You have nothing to be sorry about." He said gently as he rests his chin on her head.

With it only being the two of them in the class now, Laura could smile as she returns the hug as nuzzles her cheek against Jakes chest... feeling happy to be able to be close to him again without prying eyes to disturb them.

"Awwww~ you two are so cute together." They both suddenly hear Tohka say as she reappears in front of them.

"You just can't us a moment alone can't you Tohka?" Jake huffs, but Laura on the other hand just giggles at her boyfriends reaction.

"Gotta be honest Jake... I wasn't sure you were gonna get out of that one alive." Tohka said in mutual respect for Jake, felling more impressed to be honest that he dodged certain death by Chifuyu once again.

"I swear I'm gonna give Ichika such an ass kicking in training for dropping me in that." Jake huffs, still feeling a little mad at Ichika for almost getting him killed earlier due to his big mouth.

"Forget about him for now, Jake." He hears Laura saying whilst her head was resting against his chest.

Jackson could only chuckle as he stood there holding Laura in his arms, when he then feels a rumble against his body coming form Laura.

"Sounds like someone's hungry." He chuckles, causing Laura to blush as she looks up at him.

"A little." She admitted, feeling her stomach growling again.

Then Jake gets an idea.

"Tell you what... how bout we go eat in mine and Ichika's room." He said, causing Laura's face to light up.

"You mean, just us two." She said through a smile. Jake smiles back at her and nods.

"Yep, no distractions, no prying eyes... just us two." Jake said, smiling as the expression on Laura's face was more than enough for him to tell just how joyful she was feeling towards the idea.

"That's a wonderful idea, Jake." Laura said happily as she hugs him tighter. "I'd love to do that."

"Great, shall we." Jake sais as he loops his arm to invite Laura to walk arm in arm with him. With a bright smile and knowing there weren't going to be many students around to see them, Laura links arms with Jake and the two of them leave the class arm in arm to enjoy a peaceful lunch with one another.

* * *

An hour later, Jackson and Laura were finishing off their lunch, Jake had prepared them a hearty steak and fries meal with a serving of his own personal peppercorn sauce recipe.

"mmmmmmmm. Jake, this is so good... I never knew you were such a good cook." Laura hums with delight as she finishes off her food, her expression showing just how much she enjoyed it.

"Glad you liked it." Jake said with a smile as he picks up their empty plates and puts them in the sink for washing up later.

Jake stretched his arms out and sat down on the end of his bed, and Laura takes this opportunity to sit beside him and lean against his shoulder, feeling happy to be alone and at peace with him after this rollercoaster of a day.

"It's nice to finally have some peace and quiet." She sighs, feeling Jake wrap an arm around her and pulls her closer to him.

"Yeah... after today, it feels good just to relax... and I cant think of anyone else I'd rather spend this time with other than you." Jake said, leaning in to plant a soft kiss on Laura's forehead.

She blushes at him, feeling bashful but happy to hear him say that... they could have sat there for the rest of the day and enjoy the quietness and peace around them, suddenly the sound of Jake's Skype act rang out, causing both of them to turn to his computer.

"Huh... Who is it now?" Jake sighs as he gets up and looks at the caller ID on the screen.

(Mimi Nya)

"Huh... I wonder what she wants?" Jake said in curiosity as he sat down in front of his screen and answers the call.

"Hello."

"What up JJ." Said a certain purple haired kitten as she pops up on the screen with a bright smile. "How's your day been?"

"Its been..." Jake glances over to Laura who was sitting next to him but out of Mimi's sight. "Interesting."

"I bet... but not as interesting as last night huh." Mimi said through a crafty smirk as she wags her tail.

"(Sigh)... Damnit Lola." Sighs Jake, knowing exactly what Mimi was suggesting no thanks to Lola spreading the news of what she saw earlier that morning.

"Who is it Jake?" He then heard Laura ask as she walks up and leans over to look at the screen to see the purple haired girl.

Mimi takes a short look at the silver haired girl leaning next to Jake, and instantly squeals in joy at the sight of her.

"Oh my... You're so cute, Jake is that her, is that your girlfriend?" Mimi asked, bobbing up and down in her seat.

Laura blushes a little from the reaction the young girl was having, whereas Jake could only sigh through a faint smile... He knew Mimi was a sucker for cute things so Laura was probably gonna cause that kind of reaction from her.

"Yep... Mimi, I'd like you to meet Laura... Laura, this is Mimi, my Squadron medic and hacker." Jake said as he introduced the two girls.

"Nice to meet you Laura." Mimi said with a happy smile on her face.

"Likewise." Laura answers politely. "So you're a member of Jake's Squadron."

"Indeed... and his favourite member." Mimi said proudly, causing Laura to look at Jake who scoffs at the remark.

"When did I say that." Jake said as he raises a brow at Mimi.

"Well... maybe you didn't say it... but I like to think I am." Mimi said, her kitten like ears drooping down as she gives them an innocent and cute look.

"Oh my..." Laura mutters under her breath, finding it hard to look away from the cuteness radiating off of Mimi's expression... But Jake wasn't falling for that parlour trick of hers again.

"I take it there's another reason you're calling me, Mimi?" He askes, and that's when Mimi's ears perk up again.

"Indeed and I'm glad you asked... remember that job you gave me." She said, instantly catching Jakes attention as he remembers clear as day what that job he gave her was.

"You got something?" He said, eager to see what she had been able to gather on her little intelligence mission.

Mimi's nods at him and starts typing furiously on her keyboard.

"Yeah... Check this out." She said as she starts gathering her files and fast downloads them to Jake's PC system. Laura watches as the two of them type at a rapid pace, files and video footage popping up on all of Jake's screens.

"Lets see what we got here." Said Jake as he scans over the screens showing multiple different videos that Mimi had obtained from hacking into the vast array of security camera's and traffic camera's... all the videos sharing one thing in common... images of a black BMW M3 that was seen entering the local malls parking complex.

"Jake, what is all this for?" Laura asked out of curiosity.

"On that day Houki was nearly abducted... I caught a glimpse of the Reg number on that BMW... that's the car that she was taken in." Jake said as he filters through the videos to back track the cars movements. "I asked Mimi to do some digging and find out where these people where planning on taking her."

Laura watches quietly over Jakes shoulder as he painstakingly tracks the car through countless files, tracking the cars every move... until Laura spots something in one of the video's.

"Jake... there." She said as she points at one of the video's. Jake focuses on the video and enlarges it for a better look.

It showed the BMW coming out of a service elevator that was used for transporting vehicles in and out of underground carparks in a secluded part of downtown, and from it looked like... this was the farthest back the car could be tracked... meaning they found where it was likely to have been taking Houki.

"Good spot, Laura... now to find out where that elevator is." Jake said.

"Way ahead of ya JJ, I cross referenced that camera's image with the satellite images of downtown and have pin pointed it to this location." Mimi said as she sends Jake a digital map of the city with a red pulsing light to pin point the location of the camera overlooking the elevator.

"Nice one Mimi... on point as usual." Jake compliments, causing Mimi's ears to perk up and her tail to wag with joy.

"Anything for my JJ-Kun, Nya~" She said brightly.

"Jake... Look, someone's there with the car." Laura said as she points at the video as an unknown female holding a black briefcase walks up to the M3 and hands it to the driver.

Jake pauses the video right as the woman looks at the camera and zooms in to get a better look... but as soon as he does, he felt his heart freeze as he instantly recognises the woman in the picture... he's seen her before... he knew her, and Laura noticed his hands curl up into fists as he stares at the picture.

"Vixen..." He mutters, causing Mimi to go wide eyed at the sound of that name.

"No way... are you sure that's her?" She asked, and Jake confidently nods at her.

"Yeah... that's her... you know what that means right, Mimi" Jake said in a low and displeased tone.

"Yeah... that isn't good." Mimi added.

"Who's Vixen?" Laura asked.

"She's an old foe of mine... we have an unsettled score." Jake said, his eyes still locked on the woman on the screen.

"Score?" Laura added, becoming curious of Jake relation to this mysterious woman.

"Vixen is a member of a mercenary group armed with IS technology." Mimi explains. "We believe her group was hired by one of our rival PMC's to screw up one of our missions a while back that sparked a civil war in Africa... ever since then Jake has made it kinda personal to him to shut them down along with the PMC hiring them... well... when we figure out who they are."

"I see." Laura said, intrigued by what she was learning. "So... is it bad that she's here?"

Jackson turns back to look at her. "If she's here... that means her group has been hired again... possibly by the same PMC... if so... I can't imagine it being good."

Jake turns back to his screens to take one last look at Vixen before he shouts down the files and downloads a copy of the maps Mimi sent him to Tohka's data module... then turns to Mimi.

"Good job Mimi... I'll take it from here." He said, Mimi gives him a small smile and nods at him.

"Copy... good luck out there Jake... and be safe." She said, giving him a salute as she disconnects from the call.

Jake gets up from his seat and walks over to the drawer next to his bed.

"What are you going to do now, Jake." Laura asked as she follows him.

"Whoever these people are that hired those hitmen to abduct Houki were going to take her to that elevator." Jake said as he pulls a large silver case out of his draw. "And now that I know that Vixen was there... chances are there's something bigger to this whole picture... and I'm gonna find out what."

Laura watches over Jake as he opens the case to reveal two black .500 Magnum revolvers with six speed re-loaders. Laura gazes wide eyed at the sheer size of the two handguns as Jake changes into his casual clothing and leather jacket before he straps a dual holster to his waist and loads both revolvers before placing them in the holsters and masking them under his jacket.

"Jake..." He hears Laura say timidly, causing him to turn back to see that she seemed to be worried about something.

"What's wrong?" He asked, meeting with the worried expression on her face.

"Are you gonna be okay on your own out there." She asked... feeling worried for him.

Jake sighs through a smile as he walks up to her and takes her hands in his, forcing her to meet eyes with him.

"I will... I promise." He said softly, placing a light kiss on her forehead to comfort her. "Here... this should help."

Jake reached into his jacket and passed Laura a small device that looked something like a smartphone but instead had the word Codec engraved on the back of it.

"What's this?" She asked.

"Its a personal Codec communicator... with this you can get in touch with me directly if needed, as can I." Jake said as he grabs his motorcycle helmet and makes his way to the door, but not before he heard Laura call his name one more time, causing him to turn back to look at her.

"Jake... please be safe out there." She said softly, gaining a smile from him as he said.

"I survived a fight with you... I think I'm gonna be just fine." He chuckles, gaining a light chuckle from Laura herself.

After making sure everything was taken care of, Jake finally leaves the room, leaving Laura on her own as he departs to head for the last known spot that Houki's abductors were planning to take her. Laura looks at the communicator Jake gave her and holds it firmly against her chest as she silently preys he will be okay... hoping that he handles everything out there and comes back to her safely.


	26. Old Buisness

**Part:1**

 **Old business**

* * *

Jackson speeds through the streets as he navigate his way through traffic, the roar of his Suzuki GSXR-1000 screaming loud and proud as he pins the throttle wide open.

His destination... the location of the supposed hideout of the Mercenary group that Houki's abductors were planning on taking her.

Thanks to the micro projector hidden in his helmet, a small digital map being supplied by Tohka was displayed in the far corner of his visor and giving him clear navigation to his destination. He tears through lines of traffic with laser guided precision, leaning and tilting his bike like a professional Moto GP rider... Some civilian drivers honking their horns and rolling their windows to shake their fists at the young Texan as he narrowly roars past them like a jet fighter on wheels, cursing at his hoodlumism.

Something that Jackson couldn't help but chuckle at a little, then a faint buzzing rings in his ear as his Codec communicator goes off to indicate someone trying to contact him.

"This is Jackson, Go ahead." He said as he verbally activates the call.

"Jake... It's Mimi, have you reached the elevator yet." He hears the familiar voice of his Squadron Hacker over the comms.

"Not yet, I'm two miles out and closing fast... should be there in a few minutes." Jake said as he remains focused on weaving through traffic whilst Mimi spoke to him.

"Okay, good... Listen I've done some more research into this and you're gonna have to find an alternative way into the complex other than that elevator... security and surveillance is gonna be too tight to just walk in there without a fight." Mimi said, causing Jake to just sigh a little at that.

"Huh, since when is it ever that easy." Jake chuckles as he disconnects from the main road at starts navigating his way down the narrow streets of downtown, scanning his surroundings for anything out of the ordinary that might suggest any scouts guarding the elevator nearby.

"That's why you got me, JJ." Mimi chuckles. "Cuz we both know your missions would be a hell of a lot harder without my help."

"Hahaha, That's why I love that magic you can work, Mimi." Jake chuckles as he slows down to stop at a set of lights, listening to Mimi giggle over the Comms.

"Anything for my JJ-Kun, Nya~." Mimi says in a cute voice before snapping back to the more serious matter at hand. "Okay, listen carefully Jake... when you get within five hundred yards of your Destination, peel off in an alley on your right."

"Got it." Jake replies as the lights go green and he moves off again.

He keeps a watchful eye on his map to count down the distance till his destination... when suddenly he catches a car running a red light cross in front of him and hits the brakes. The driver stops in panic in Jakes path and his bike goes up on its front wheel as he just managed to bring his bike to a controlled halt only a mere few feet from the drivers door before his back wheel lands back on the road.

"Hey Dumbass... watch where your riding that thing... you wanna get turned into road pizza or something?!" The driver starts yelling at Jake as he shakes his fist and flips him off, infuriating Jake due to the fact it was the driver of the car that ran the red light and was in the wrong here.

Jake wasn't in the mood to be picking a fight with street trash like this guy and with a twist of his throttle he spooled his bikes engine all the way into the red. The driver of the car is forced to cover his ears from the ear shattering whine of Jake's engine as he revs his bike as loud as it could... when suddenly, the pitch of the bikes scream became so intense that the widows of the car shatter into pieces, littering the driver with glass. He just stares at the blacked out visor of the young man on the bike as he returns the flip off he gave him before Jake cranks open the throttle and wheel spins off to leave the driver to deal with the mess his car was now left in.

"What was that, JJ?" Mimi asked as she could only hear tire screeches, shouting and high revving on her end of the Comms.

"Oh, nothing... Just some idiot with road rage issues." Jake huffs as he continues to ride down the street.

He reached the five hundred yard mark and slows down, scanning his surroundings for this alley that Mimi spoke about, until he comes across the alley hiding behind a few dumpsters obstructing the entrance.

"Okay, I found the alley." Jake said as he dismounts from his bike and moves to push the dumpsters out of the way.

Despite it being the middle of the day, the alley was shadowed in the dark by the towering blocks of flats that hung high over Jake, he carefully pushes his bike into the alley, watching his surroundings for anything... feeling the eyes of passer byes and the odd civilian standing over the metal balconies of their homes while they were having a smoke, no one really paying attention to young Texan as he ventures deeper into the alley.

"Okay... Jake, you should find a service hatch somewhere in that alley, head down there and it should lead you into the main sewer system connecting to the city." Mimi said over the comms, however the only thing she heard from Jake's end was a displeasing huff.

"Great... just where I wanted to go." He huffs as he spots the hatch in question and parks his bike nearby before standing in front of the hatch... still feeling a little put off about having to crawl through a sewer for the rest of the way to his destination.

"Oh quit being a baby, Jake." Chuckled Mimi.

"How come its always me that has to crawl through these kinda places." Jake retorts. "I don't see any of you girls doing this sorta work."

"Because we all know you can handle it, JJ-Kun." Mimi said brightly, but Jake just sighs at that.

"And this is the only way in besides that elevator." He asked, curious about whether there was at least another way in.

"Fraid not Jake... at least not without raising any alarms." Said Mimi, "Listen I'll explain more in a second... but for, just get down there before someone spots you and gets suspicious."

"Yeah, yeah... okay, I'm going." Jake scoffed.

Quickly glancing over his shoulders to make sure no one was looking his way, he leans down and grasps the handle of the service hatch and pulls it open... for most people this would have been a two man job due to the weight of the steel hatch, but with Jake's superior strength it was like lifting a pebble to him as he climbs down the hatch and begins to descend into the sewer system that ran deep under the city above him.

"Jesus... it reeks down here." Jake groans as he held his nose shut, the fowl stench of human and chemical waste lingering in the sewer as he reached the bottom of the ladder and begins to scan his surroundings. "Well... guess I better get to work."

Jake closes his eyes and summons his IS's Stryker mode, lighting the sewer up in the white light of his armour materialising from light particles until his body was wrapped in the familiar black armoured suit that specialised in operating in arenas far too confined for a conventional IS unit.

"Alright Tohka, time for you to go to work as well." He said as he reached onto his back to pull a small device that was attached to him off and place it on the ground, kneeling down he pressed a button on the top of the device and a faint humming sound came from it as it began to unfold and morph shape to reveal a small quad-copter drone that he had brought along with him to allow Tohka to scout out the sewers ahead of him and help guide him to the facility hiding in the complex maze of tunnels. Holding his hand near the drone, Tohka transports herself into the drones on-board hard drive via light particles and soon enough the drone powers up and she takes control of it and rises into the air to Jake's head level.

"All set, Jake... lets go hunting." Tohka said, eager to get started as much as Jackson as he begins walking through the sewer system.

"It's Jackson... I'm in the sewers." He said as he holds his arm up and calls Mimi over the Codec, a small screen being projected via a micro camera on his arm pops up to reveal Mimi's face as she begins to fill Jake in on the details she currently had on the mission.

"Alright, lets get started. Your mission is to infiltrate and investigate the facility located somewhere in this sewer system. After our recent discovery involving Vixen's presence in this area, its highly possible that this will be a (Raven Head) associated facility... According to the information I have been able to claw together so far, its likely that this could be one of their main C-S-S-U (Cyber-Stryke-Suit-Units) research and development bases."

"C-S-S-U's... been a while since I ran into any of those things." Said Jake as he walks through the main passage way of the sewer system, constantly checking his hyper-sensors for any movement.

"Yeah... but they shouldn't be a problem should you run into any... if I recall you referred them as (Walking Vending machines)." She said, gaining a light chuckle from Jake.

"Well... Compared to my Stryker Suit, they're pretty much are like that." He chided through a smug smile as he continues down the main passage tunnel.

"Oh, and FYI... Some of the intel that I had gathered on this lab lead to suspect that they might be tied to the same human trafficking cartels that we linked (Raven Head) with a while back... allegedly anyway." Mimi said as she scoots over her facts that she had saved down.

"Huh... This just keeps getting better and better." Jake said sarcastically.

"Tell me about it." Sighed Mimi. "You need to infiltrate that lab and find out everything you can to prove that this intel is correct... though after seeing that (Raven Head) has been operating in this area as well, it seems likely that it is already."

"I take it that its up to me to find it first." Jake asked, looking down at his Codec screen to see Mimi nod at him.

"Fraid so... there was only so much data I could gather in the time that I had and I still wasn't able to pin point the labs exact location yet." Sighed the purple haired kitten, glancing over at her screens as she monitors Jake's progress from her room back at base in the States, looking for any more vital intel she had that may help Jake with his task at hand.

"So I'm looking for anywhere the labs might hook up with the sewers." Jake asks, looking around for anything that might suggest such a thing.

"Yep... If that lab is really down there with you, they have to have some form of waste management that links up with the sewers some how... and that'll be your way in." Said Mimi as she leans back in her chair. "Find that connection, sneak into the lab, and see if you can find any evidence that implicates them in associating with (Raven Head) as well as what they might have had planned for Miss. Shinonono if they actually managed to get a hold of her."

"No problem... Stealth is my specialty." Jake chuckles, gaining an equally humoured chuckle from the purple haired kitten herself.

"Right... Maybe, but not your preferred way of doing things." She chuckles as she twiddles the end of her tail between her fingers.

"You wouldn't happen to have picked up any intel that tells us what kind of research this lab is up to down here?" Jake asked as he comes up to a curve in the main passage, starting the central distribution system for the various different tunnel systems that spread across the city... However Mimi just shakes her head at him.

"Not really... Maybe something related to all the people they're trafficking?" She said half assumingly, going off of gut instinct more than raw theory.

"Like... Experimentation maybe?" Jake added, trying to gain a suggested theory of what was going on inside that lab himself.

"Its possible... We won't know for sure until you complete the mission... First thing first, though. Find a way into that lab." Said Mimi. She was about to end her call there and leave Jake to get on with the mission, but then quickly remembers one more thing she figured was important to warn him about.

"Oh, right... I also forgot to mention, keep your head on a swivel down there... odds are that if the labs nearby... you more than likely run into some form of security." She said.

"Who in the right mind would agree to walking around in a sewer for hours on end?" Jake scoffs, unsure of what kind of (Security) he would run into down here.

"Not sure... Its likely that they could be using this as an opportunity to run patrol tests on newly built C-S-S-U's... I know you can more than likely handle it Jake, but still... Be careful." Said Mimi. Jake gives her a nod and she leaves the call to allow him to get on with the task at hand and monitor him form the base using his Stryker Suits built in GPS and optical nerves fitted to his visor.

"I'll scout ahead and map the system... you follow and provide back up." Tohka said as she takes lead, gaining a chuckle from Jake as he finds it humouring that she was acting as if she was in charge of this operation.

"Haha... Sir yes Sir." He chuckles as he salutes the drone hovering above him.

"Commence operation." Said Tohka and before long, she flies off into the darkness of the sewer to map out the route for Jake.

Jake brings up his A.R.S (Advanced Radar System) and scans over what she had picked up for him so far. The main sewer system carries on round a blind right curve but it seemed the route after that was blocked off by fallen debris from one of the sub-channels collapsing, meaning that the only way for him to advance was to take the first break off tunnel to the left after the right curve. He begins to track through the sewer, following the directions Tohka had mapped out... When he suddenly hears her calling him over the comms again.

"Jackson: Unidentified C-S-S-U's are patrolling the sewers nearby. Exercise caution."

"Huh... Looks like getting into this place won't be as boring as I thought." Chuckled Jake.

As he takes the next left and passes through an open shutter door he cracks his knuckles and loosen his shoulders up, ready for any engagement he might encounter along the way, when suddenly... his senses flag up as he hears some rumble hit the water behind him. He turns his head back to see a few more brick fall into the water behind him and looks up where they were falling from... When he suddenly sees a large unknown figure hiding in the shadows above the shutter that was waiting in ambush for him. Without warning the figure raises one arm to reveal a Browning. M3 50. Calibre Machine Gun attached to its arm and fires at Jake. With quick reaction timing, Jackson darts and backflips out of the way of the incoming fire and the figure drops down from the tunnel roof to reveal itself to Jake.

"Well... you're a big fella." Jake said as he identifies the hostile.

It was a Type-2 C-S-S-U... a heavy support type Unit and a larger version of the more typical human formed Stryker that took on the shape and body design of a gorilla, packed to the limits with high strength (C.N.T) muscle fibre and armed with a heavy machine gun on one arm for fire suppression. The Type-2 beats its chest in a gorilla like manner to display its anger and clangs its fists together at Jake, clearly ready for an engagement. Jackson reached behind him and draws his High Frequency Blade, standing in a defensive pose and holding his ground.

The Type-2 then suddenly jumps in the direction of the wall, Jake track it as it hits the wall and launched itself at him, bringing both its fists up in an attempted to pound him into the ground. Jackson cartwheels back just in time before the C-S-S-U landed where he was just standing, the ground trembling as the Type-2 slams its fists into the ground. Jake uses his superior speed to his advantage and charges at the Type-2 before it could get back up, with one swift motion he slices into Stryker Units right arm and strikes the machine gun attached to it, severing attachment clean off as he passes by and spins his body to slash across the back of its legs, cutting into the reinforced muscle fibre but only damaging it.

"Better take out that C-S-S-U quick. Don't want attract too much attention down there." Mimi said to Jake over the comms as she was watching the engagement from his optical nerve.

"Yeah, kinda already working on that." Jackson replies as he tries to stay focused on fighting.

He times another charge with the Type-2's next swing and power slides under its legs, quickly getting back up and lashing out across the Units back, spraying oil and artificial blood across the sewer walls. However the C-S-S-U took Jake by surprise and spins its body violenty, swiping Jake with its arm, causing him to drop his blade and slams him against the wall. Before Jake could get up the Type-2 jumps into the air and lands on him, pinning him to the floor and bringing both fists up as it tries to pumble him into the ground, but Jake was a step ahead and fires his shoulder cannons right as the Unit was about to strike. The explosive plasma shots hit the Unit square in the head and knock it back, stunning it long enough for Jake to grab his blade and just as the Type-2 regains its consciousness, it was too late to react as Jake leaps up and drive the blade straight through the Units neck.

The Unit staggers as it slowly loses power and drops to its knees, unable to even react to Jake who was just standing behind it his back to the Unit. Without even looking at his prey, Jake reached round the Type-2's neck and grabs the handle of his blade, twisting it with one brutal swing that decapitated the unit, oil and artificial blood spurting from the wound as it collapsed front first into the foul waters of the sewer. Jake swings his blade to remove the blood and oil from it as he returns it to the sheaf on his back and continues on his path through the sewers.

He comes to a T-Junction at the end of the passage way, however the left route was blocked off by debris and the shutter door on the right was sealed thus preventing him from advancing that way.

"There's a maintenance catwalk by that shutter, use to advance forward and conceal yourself if necessary." Tohka informs over the comms.

Jake spots the stairway to the catwalk and proceeds with caution, moving over the shutter door and remaining in the shadows to stay hidden as he sees two more Type-2 C-S-S-U's patrolling a stretch of the sewer below him. The two Units had their machine guns loaded and pre-aimed, ready to fire upon the first sign of movement. Jake watches from the safety of the shadows as he plans his next move out carefully, it would not be wise to just drop in on them and engage in a straight up fight and risk raising the alarm being raised. He watched their patrol patterns carefully, then noticed an opening to attack as the two Units turn around and are back to back with each other.

Targeting the nearest C-S-S-U, Jake draws his blade and waits until the Stryker was right under him, in silence he tosses his sword into the air and jumps after at. The Type-2 was oblivious to its fate... and with no warning what so ever, Jake's blade strikes it right on its head. Jake follows the blade and drives his foot down on the hilt of his sword, forcing it all the way down and through the C-S-S-U's brain, killing it instantly in silence as he backflips off his prey and lands behind it. The sound of the Stryker hitting the floor alerts the second one, but as soon as it turns round, Jake draws one of his .500 Magnums and fires, landing a perfect shot through the Units eye socket to destroy its brain and killing it instantly. The remaining Stryker drops to its knees and lifelessly falls forward into the water. Jake blows the smoke out of his gun barrel before returning it to the holster on his hip and pulling his blade out of the Stryker that he'd stealth killed.

"There's the Jackson I know." Mimi cheers happily over the comms, impressed by the display she got to see Jake put on while observing the mission.

After that encounter, Jackson moves on down the sewer, only to come across yet another obscured tunnel. Looking around for a moment he spots a thin metal bar door sealing off another passageway that he could go down. Using his blade, he slices downwards with precision on the hinges, his blade cutting through them like a hot knife through butter and with the aid of his Stryker Suits strength he rips the door clean off to gain access to the passage.

"Jackson... I'm picking up another life form in the area." He suddenly heard Tohka say over comms, instantly gaining his attention.

"Define (Lifeform)? am I dealing with a hostile?" Jake asked, hoping for more detail on that contact.

"No... B.M.I readings are too low to classify as a soldier of lab worker... Jake... its a kid, we have a kid in the sewers in your area." Tohka said, sounding a little concerned about the situation.

"Copy that, I'll keep my eyes open." Jake said, taking in the extra intel and continuing on down the tunnel.

He rounds another bend in the passage and sees a cut off hall leading to the pressure maintenance room and decides that would be his next place to head to, but as he dashes down the seemingly empty channel, his Hyper-sensors suddenly go off to warn him of an incoming enemy, but there was nothing around... when out of nowhere something wraps around his torso.

"What the?!" Jake stutters, then he soon realised what had grabbed him.

It was a Gecko Tripod MK1, a recon scout drone that was nothing more than a sphere like machine with three arms that it used for movement and climbing, due to their lack of armour and poor combat ability they more commonly used for surveillance... However they had one very nasty trick up their sleeve should they get the jump on an unsuspecting enemy, which involved latching onto them and activating their self-destruction protocol and taking their prey with them in a violent explosion.

Something Jake realised quickly was about to happen to him.

With no time to waste he wriggles and twists his body violently to force the drones grasp on him to loosen just enough for one of his hands to break free and grabs one of the Tripods artificial limbs. In a single motion, he spins his body and lashes out, ripping the Tripod off his body and launching it off his body with a few seconds to spare before the drone detonates and lit up the tunnel in a fireball. Jake was forced to shield his eyes from the explosion, however when he looks back he sees that the detonation of the first drone and knocked three more that were waiting in ambush further down the tunnel out of their hiding and fell to the ground in front of Jake.

The three Tripods see him and make a dash for him, but Jake merely smirks at their somewhat pointless attempt to attack him as he draws his blade and waits for them to close in. The first Tripod leaps up and tried to grab onto him, but Jake counters and slices upwards right before the drone could reach him, splitting it clean in two and passing either side of him. Carrying him momentum through, Jake curves his sword round and slashes downwards in a diagonal motion to the right, striking the second drone and cutting in two as well, and finally spinning his body to bring his foot round and drives it straight into the remaining drones optical nerve and launches it back before it could even get near him.

The remaining drone twitches and sparks as that kick from Jake had immobilised it and rendered it useless. Jake walks towards the last Tripod, smirking as he watches it try to escape but had been reduced to a crawl that even a baby could keep up with, as he passes the drone, he deliberately steps on it and crushed it under the weight of his Stryker Suit and chuckles.

"Predictable..." He mutters as he leaves the tunnel and heads down the hall to the pressure maintenance room.

Suddenly... Jake hears a scream in the near distance, instantly gaining his attention. It was a cry for held from what sounds like a young girl... and it was coming from it was coming from the vertical passageway just in front of him. It had to have been that child that Tohka informed him about earlier and Jake quickly approaches the edge of the passage and looks down. It was a good thirty metre drop down to the next level of the sewer... but Jake could see her, a young black haired girl... maybe no older than twelve years old and dressed in a white lab robe that had been dirtied up from traveling through the sewers was scuttling back through the waters below him, crying for help as she desperately tries to fend off two Tripod drones that were trying to grabs her legs and drag her off.

There no time to waste by taking the ladder, the drones would have snatched the girl up by then, so without hesitation Jackson jumps into the passageway and falls towards the unsuspecting drones. With his blade ready in one hand he grabs one of his revolvers with his free hand and fires on the nearest Tripod whilst still descending towards them. The bullet strikes the first drone and punches through its weak armour, knocking it out as the round tears vital components inside it apart. The second Tripod spots its ally fall and picks a bad time to look up as it sees Jake falling towards it with no time to move. Jake quickly reattaches his revolver and grips his blade firmly in both hands, using the speed of his fall he flips in mid air to build up momentum and strikes the drone as he hit the ground. His Stryker Suit was more than able to break his fall and the ground trembles from the force of him striking the floor, his blade slashing through the drone with brute force and kills it as its cleaved in two.

Jake glances back to see if the young girl he'd just saved was still okay, thankfully she didn't appear to harm harmed, just shocked and gazing at the metallic human that had dropped in to save her. Suddenly, Jake notices the girl glance past him and a mechanical growl catches his attention.

"Huh?" He mutters as he turns back around.

Jake looks up to be met by three towering C-S-S-U's that he assumed had been sent to collect the girl... but these Units were a step up from he'd encountered so far in these sewers. They were Type-3 Heavy Assault C-S-S-U's, the successor model that followed after the Type-2 and were even bigger, designed more off the shape and body of a Velociraptor fitted with a fully traversable camera pod to eliminate blind spots, a six pod rocket launcher on one shoulder and machine gun on the other and came equipped with a short range E.M.P generator for self defence. The three Units give off a mechanised roar that forces Jake to take a defensive stand, knowing that he had to take these things out quickly before they tried to hurt the girl behind him.

"Get outta here." Jake calls to the girl, urging her to get back to a safer distance before the engagement started... but the girl was more focused on the sight of Jake, scanning her eyes up and down the armoured suit that in cased the boys body and the razor sharp blade he held in his hands, she'd never seen something as amazing in her life and started chanting in joy at her saviour.

"A Stryker-Ninja? Cowabunga! Go Ninja! Go Ninja! Go!."

"What're you... MOVE!" Jake shouts, waving the girl to run. The little girl suddenly decided to listen to him and quickly gets up, bolting it as fast as she could into a safe spot behind some rubble before popping her head out... watching as Jake prepares to engage the threats in front of him.

One of the Type-3's leaps forward at Jake and tries to stomp him into the ground, but Jake was faster and cartwheels back to avoid the attack, however he had no time to waste as the second Unit flanks round his left side and spins its body, swinging its tail around to swat Jake. With barely any time to spare Jake arches his body back and limbo's under the Type-3's tail to evade being hit, bringing his blade over at the same time to land a strike on the weaker more vulnerable underside of the Units tail. The Type-3 gives off a mechanical wince as it backs away from Jake, oil and artificial blood spurting from the gaping slash wound under its tail. In defence it fires at rocket at Jake forcing him to lunge right to avoid it and hit the wall behind him, when suddenly a gut wrenching ache shoots through his side.

Jake groans as he is flung into the air, he hadn't spotted the third Type-3 sneak around him and had used its head as a battering ram to knock him in the direction of another that swings its tail around to swat him in mid-air. Jake crosses his arms to shield himself the best he could as the first Type-3 smacks him with its tail, sending him flying back and straight into the wall. Staggered and winded, Jake uses his blade as a crutch to quickly get back on his feet and look up to see the Type-3 who's tail he'd damaged was charging straight for him, attempting to crush him against the wall with its head.

"No you don't." Jake said as he jumps into the air right before he was hit and the Type-3 smashes into the wall and is stunned. As Jake leaps over the C-S-S-U he grabs his gun again and fires on its camera pod, destroying it and blinding the Unit. With no clue of what was now going on around it the Unit begins to flail and lash out in panic, trying to hit anything that went near it. Jake quickly grabs the blind Unit by the tail and uses his immense strength to swing it round like a ragdoll and smashes it against another one that was trying to stamp on him. The two Units collapse to the floor in a twisted mass of limbs and give Jake a moment to focus on the lead Unit.

It opens fire on Jake with its heavy machine gun, but Jake charges head first at it, swinging and curving his blade to deflect any bullets that might have hit him as he closes the gap. The Type-3 lifts one leg and tries stamping down on Jake again, however that was exactly what he was planning on it doing and without slowing down he drops and slides under the Unit as it brings its foot down. Jake lashes out with his blade at just the right moment, slicing the Type-3's foot off as he passes under it. The Unit makes all manners of mechanical cries and whines as its foot is hacked off, staggering and struggling for balance as it tries to stay in the fight.

Jake turns around just as the Unit twisted its body and swings its tail around for another attack, but it had lost strength and energy and its strike was slower and weaker than before. Jake catches its tail and stops the attack, wrapping his arms tightly around it and bends the tail, snapping the metal Exo-skeleton inside it and breaking the Type-3's tail. The Unit screeches and hops back on its remaining foot, its tail now limp and trailing behind it as it turns to see Jake standing in an offensive pose and ready for its next move. In a last effort to take him out the unit fires all six of its rockets at once, but just like the last time Jake runs towards the attack... only this time he was going in for the kill shot. Just before the rockets hit him he ducks and rolls under and tosses his blade into the air as he passes under the rockets, leaving no time for the wounded Type-3 to retreat as he uses the momentum of his roll to perform a powerful roundhouse kick. A magnetic clamp in his lower leg activates and catches his sword midway through the kick and Jackson uses his leg to swing his blade with brutal force as he strikes the Units exposed neck, spraying its blood and oil everywhere as he slices deep into its neck.

The Type-3 staggers and slumps as it rapidly loses power and strength before it finally goes down for good and collapses to the ground. However there was no time to celebrate the kill as Jake see that the remaining two Units had regained control of themselves and were circling him like a pair of sharks. Jake grips his blade in both hands and remains still, glancing over his shoulders to keep an eye on both Units. One of them suddenly fires a rocket at him but Jake reacted too quickly and uses his blade to slice the projectile in half before it could detonate. Suddenly Jake spots a strange purple glow coming from behind him and glanced back to see that the blinded Unit was attempting to use its short range E.M.P generator to disable his Stryker Suit. Jake quickly thinks of a plan before it could fire and grins as he turns back to the other Unit in front of him.

"COME ON!" He shouts at the Type-3, waving his hand in a (bring it on motion) motion to taunt the machine.

The Type-3 blindly takes the bait and charges at Jake, but just as it was about to head butt him, Jake jumps into the air and passes over the Unit... Putting it right in the path of the blind Type-3's E.M.P... The Unit blindly fires an E.M.P beam from its chest and accidentally hits the one that had been baited by Jake's taunt. The Type-3 that had been hit screeches as it twitches and sparks before collapsing to the ground in a lifeless mass, its vital circuits all fried and destroyed by the E.M.P and knocking it out of the fight for good. Jake lands on top of the stricken Unit and wastes no time in dealing with the remaining one, activating his shoulder cannons and firing a short burst at it.

Explosive plasma peppers the Type-3, tearing off chunks of metal, muscle fibre and spraying blood and oil across the wall. The Unit hunches as it tries to back away and disengage... feeling too injured to continue the fight, but no mercy was shown from Jackson as he dash jumps towards the wounded Stryker and drives his armoured knee into the side of its head, smashing it against the wall and forcing it to fall to the floor. The weakened Unit struggles to get back up, but Jake grasps it by the neck, digging his Stryker Suits razor sharp fingers into it muscles and tosses it back, forcing it to roll onto its back. The blind C-S-S-U was powerless to escape as it hears Jake draw his blade and before it could get away, Jake jumps into the air above it and drives his blade into its chest, hitting its power core and destroying it to finish off the remaining Stryker.

Jake takes a step back and looks around at the three smoking, sparking wreaks that he had created to make sure that none of them were going to be getting back up anytime soon before he returns his blade to his sheaf. Then he glances back over his shoulder to see the young girl that he'd saved earlier was still peering out from behind the rubble that she'd been hiding behind during the fight. Jackson decided that it would be better that he makes sure the girl was okay and find out why she was down here before he continued on with the mission.

"Daijōbudesuka? (Are you Okay?" Jackson asked in Japanese, not really expecting the young girl to be as fluent with his own language, however she just seemed to look quite confused by what he just said.

"Wah yuh say?" She asked in confusion.

(What'd you say?)

"Oh." Jake muttered to himself, realising this girl was more fluent with English than he thought.

"Mi a Guyanese. From Guyana... You speak English?" Asked the young girl as she comes out of her hiding space to confront Jake.

(I'm Guyanese. From Guyana... You speak English?)

"Uh, Yeah. I'm from Texas. Call me Jackson." Jake said to the you girl.

"Mi name Sabrina. Like (Sabrina the Witch.)" Said Sabrina as she introduced herself, using a popular show character to describe her name.

(My names Sabrina. Like (Sabrina the Witch.)

"Sabrina..." Jake said quietly to himself, glancing away as the young girls name reminding him of someone close to him that had the same name.

"You that mi." Sabrina said brightly to him, causing him to look back at her.

"Right... So what are you doing down here?" Jake asked, but Sabrina seemed to be more surprised to be seeing a Stryker pilot down here instead.

"Mi? Wuh da rass ayu fuh do here?" Said Sabrina, sounding more surprised that Jake was.

(Me? What the hell are you doing down here?)

"Yuh lose da map a ninja hideout, ninja man?" She said in a humouring tone.

(You lose the map to your ninja hideout, ninja man?)

Jake could only chuckle at her, knowing that she'd just used a ninja turtle reference on him.

"No, I'm looking for evil people." He chuckles as he tells Sabrina the reason he was down here... but that's when he noticed her expression shift to a more worried one.

"Ah, Dem skunt a research lab." She said, and Jake instantly goes wide eyed at her after hearing that.

(Oh, Those punks at the research lab.)

"You know about it?" Jake said in disbelief, realising he had just come across an escapee from the very lab he's been looking for.

"Mi know mi nah go back!" Sabrina said in a panic, trying not to think about the horrors she witnessed in that place before escaping.

(I know I'm not going back!)

"Hey... Yuh na wan of dem skunt, nah?" She asked Jake, starting to become cautious of him seeing that he knew about the lab to.

(Hey... you're not one of those assholes, right?)

She glances past Jake and looks at the wreaks of the Type-3's that he'd just fought a few moments ago... and soon began to calm down again, realising that if Jake really was a bad guy as well... he would have taken her away by now.

"Nah, I guess yuh all right." She said as she turns back to Jake and started glancing up and down at his armour that covered his body.

(No, I guess you're alright)

"If yuh a Cyber-Stryker, yuh know who dey is?" Sabrina asks Jake, assuming that he had some knowledge of the people she'd escaped from.

(If you're a Cyber-Stryker, you know who they are?)

"Sort of." Jake said, vaguely admitting that he knew about the sort of people that were working in that lab and the to had, had a run with them a while back in his life.

"What happened to you? How'd you end up all the way in a sewer here in Japan?" Jake asks, listening carefully as Sabrina begins to explain the story from her point of view.

"Mi bin live on da street... Rake and scrape fuh a bobb, nah? Den diss kutnee gal dress like da mafia say, (Hey gal, yuh wan a job?) Wah da worst gon happen, Nah? But dat mudda skunt done put me on a rass boat! Dey pack us all a bigable dutty containah. Next ting we know, we here. At dat jumby lab"

(I was living on the street, begging for quarters, you know? then this creepy girl dressed like the Mafia says, (Hey girl, you want a job?) What was the worst that could happen? But that motherfucker put me on a damn boat! They pack us all up in a big dirty container. Next thing we know, we're here. At that messed up lab.)

"All kids... like you?" Jake asked, urging Sabrina to tell him more, and she nods silently at him.

"Yeah, alotta gal." Sabrina said quietly. Jake noticed that she was starting to become discomforted with talking more about what was happening.

(Yeah, lots of girls.)

"But den mi bin overhearwuh dem skunt wan a do." Sabrina turns away from Jake... finding it hard for to face him as she reveals a gruesome secret she had uncovered.

(But then I overheard what those punks want to do.)

Sabrina hung her head down as memories of the torture she witnessed in the lab started flowing back into her head as she finds the courage to tell Jake what she knew.

"Strap us in der chair... wipe our brains... an gut all dey organs."

(Strap us in the chair... wipe our minds... and cut out our organs.)

Jake stands there for a second in silent shock, his mid struggling to process the gruelling facts that Sabrina had shared with him. It just made his skin crawl and his blood curdle at the simple thought of what the rest of those kids in that lab must be going through right now. He took a second to think about the whole mid wiping part she'd told him... it sounded... familiar, like that sort of thing was something he'd come across before in his past... but if he had to take a guess at what was happening at that lab. It seemed like they were using human trafficking run by (Raven Head) to bring in homeless females that they could use to erase their memories and transplant vital organs like their brains and hearts into certain C-S-S-U's... after all, they weren't full autonomous... they actually had human organs that boosted the Units instinct and adaptive nature.

Either way... it was a cringing and worrying problem that Jake had to stop as soon as he could before another innocent girl fell to these twisted freaks, and he turns back to Sabrina who was still keeping her back to him.

"So you ran away." He said calmly, sympathising for Sabrina... considering he'd have done the same if he was in her situation.

"Uh-Huh." Said Sabrina as she turns back around to look up at Jake.

"Ise shame mi notta bad-ass robot-ninja-mon same's you, ha." She said, trying to mimic some of the moves she saw Jake make while fighting the Type-3's

(Man, too bad I'm not some kind of cyborg like you, ha)

"Mi bin strongest cyborg ever. Walack all dem Phantoms an Black Clothes dat eyepass mi." She said brightly as she thinks about that, but Jake seemed to have other thoughts on that.

(I would've been the strongest cyborg ever. Whack all those Mafioso and bad guys that mess with me.)

"You're starting to sound like a bad guy yourself." He said bluntly, making his point clear to Sabrina that there was a thin line between defending oneself and just being no better than the ones in the wrong as well. This causes Sabrina to shy away, seeing that she had clearly unamused Jackson by trying to talk like that.

"Jus playin' nah? Mi done plenty bad ting, but mi nah kill no man. Nah, nevah." She said, sounding apologetic to Jake for sounding like she was like one of them as well.

(Just joking, ya know? I've done some bad things, but I've never killed anybody. I don't want to either.)

"Good." Jake said reassuringly to her, glad to hear that even though she seemed to be in a tough place this early in life... she hadn't resorted to such violence and mindlessness to killing, something he considered rare these days now.

"Mi try to warn dem gal, I say, (Ayodese brain will get cut out! Run yuh rass out a der!) But dem gals wi mi no understand. Dey like Spanish or some'ting. So me the only wan fur escape. Den Dey come afta me an-" Sabrina glances over past Jake at the wreaked Type-3's... But Jake already knew the end to her sentence.

(I tried to warn the other girls and say "All your brains are gonna get cut out! Run your ass out of there!" But the girls with me didn't understand. They were like Spanish or something. So I was the only one to escape. Then that machine came after me an-)

"And I know the rest." Jake said as he glances back at the machines he'd torn apart a few minutes ago... When suddenly, he gets down on one knee and places his hands on Sabrina's shoulders, startling her a little as he looks her in the eye.

"Sabrina... I need every detail on how you escaped." He said to her.

Sabrina looks back at Jake and realises herself that he needed her to find a way into this lab... and that he was the only one that stood a chance of saving the rest of the children that were trapped in that place before what she'd told Jake could happen to them to, and with that thought in mind, she nods in understanding to him as she begins to explain how she made it out of the lab.

(Ten minutes later)

"So the kid got into the sewers through a drainage channel?" Said Mimi. She had been listening in on Jake and Sabrina earlier and was going over the fact that Jake had picked up off the young girl.

"Yeah, she said the channel is super tight, but there's some kind of shutter next to it I can get in through." Jake said as he walks down the sewer, following the marked map Tohka had left for him while he conversates with Mimi.

"Got it. That must be where the labs waste management links up with the sewer." She said, scanning over her notes and facts.

"There's something else... it sounded like there was a (Raven Head) exec was on-sight yesterday. If a sentry Stryker was on hand for the meeting..." Just then another screen pops up from Jake's arm to reveal Lola, who had recently joined in on observing the operation after running in on Mimi monitoring Jake's progress.

"You should be able to access their video log, provided you can find a server access-terminal." She said to finish off Jake's sentence, showing that she had the same idea as he did. "That would give you the evidence you need... as well as give us a little peek at the level of (Raven Heads) technology."

"So what about the kid?" Mimi asked Jake, realising that there was no way he was going to be taking her along with him for the rest of this mission.

"I made sure the area was secure and told her to sit tight. I'll pick her back up when I'm done with the mission...and I dropped one of Tohka's trackers for her to keep hold of, that way she can keep an eye on Sabrina while I focus on the mission." Said Jake as he glances at his Radar, spotting the tracking device he left with Sabrina.

"Good, you just focus on getting into that lab... If what that girl said is true... about the organs, we need to hurry." Said Mimi, sounding worried herself for the sake of he rest of the girls that could be trapped in that lab.

"Agreed... Jackson out." Jake said as he disconnects from the call.

He continues on his path down the sewer... but there was something on his mind... something that he couldn't shake, something that he'd figured out after what he'd learned from Sabrina... something he was hoping wasn't true... but deep down a pit in his stomach was telling him that it was.

"Jake... You okay?" He heard Tohka ask as she hovers next to him in drone form, and Jake just slowly turns his head to show the discomforted look on his face.

"This is bad, Tohka... Raven Head taken things a step further in their plans while I was out of the action." He said with a heavy sigh, gaining the same worried from Tohka.

"Are you saying that they might have..." She said, but Jake cuts her off to finish her sentence.

"They have, Tohka..." Jake said as he look back at the remains of a Type-3 C-S-S-U that he'd torn apart... the reality of the situation weighing down on him as he realises that things had just gotten a whole lot more serious now.

"They found a way to virtualise the Regiment Program."


	27. Chapter 27: The Cyber Inicitive

Jake moves swiftly through the sewers, keeping to the shadows and remaining nothing more than a ghost that crept through the darkness as he moves ever so closer to his destination. He follows the direction left by Tohka who had moved off ahead of him to give him the guidance he needed to reach the area that the lab was supposedly located.

"Huh... it should be round here somewhere." He mutters to himself as he checks his radar.

He had come to a section of the sewer where the channel tunnel turns right and loops around to reconnect with itself, leaving him in an area that would literally be leading him in circles if he was to follow the path from here on, but he hadn't given up just yet on finding the lab, odds are where that the entrance was being concealed somehow... then he remembers what Sabrina had told him, that she escaped through a drainage channel. The shutter that she'd seen exiting the lab and connecting to the sewers was right next tot that channel and decided to focus on locating that channel, maybe then he'll find the shutter he saw searching for.

Suddenly, Jake's radar pings as he picks up two unknown contacts nearby that where moving in his direction, and were about the round the bend up ahead of him and into his line of sight. Jackson quickly takes cover behind another corner at the other side of the channel and leans against the wall as he hears the two guards come round the corner as they patrol the sewers around their area.

Thanks to his advanced radar, Jake could identify that the two contacts were MK-I Cyber Strykers, a more common form of advanced cybernetic suits that were currently under debate for going into mass-production for the military as an alternative weapon of choice to increase the efficiency of foot troops in the field... However the MK-I was a far cry short of even being a match for Jackson's state of the art MK-V Suit and with that thought spearheading his mind he lays in wait for the two soldiers to walk into his grasp for him to silence them without being spotted, listening in on their unsuspecting conversation as the patrol the sewers.

"I hate walking in this place... it stinks down here." One of the patrol soldiers said as she huffs in frustration, trying to cope with the foul scent coming from the sewers she was stuck with to look after.

"Stop whining will you." The other soldier said as she keeps a more vigilant eye around the area. "This is just part of the job... no point bitching about it."

"Yeah, but... why is it always us that have to do the messy work." The second soldier complains, still displeased with the position she was in right now.

The lead soldier turns back to her partner and just give her a blank stare.

"You think this is messy work... This is nothing compared to what those creepo's in the labs are doing with their _Inventory._ " She said, the thought of what sort of messed up things that go on in the labs they were tasked with guarding made her shudder in disgust. "I know it's not really much of our business... But It's fucked up how those scientists can walk out of those labs after work with a smile on their faces."

"I hear you." The trailing soldier said as she to thinks about what her partner just said. "Scientists get off on the most fucked up of things."

Her comment gained a light chuckle from the lead soldier as they walk round the next corner... the one where Jackson had been hiding behind, but unknown to them he had vanished into the shadows and was now lurking in silence... waiting for the moment to strike them down.

"All we need to care about is that the money for what we do is good enough, and if that means we gotta spend a few hours walking round a sewer to make sure that no rats get in the labs... That's fine by me." Said the lead soldier as they continue to patrol the sewer.

All around it was quiet and deserted, with nothing more than the faint squeaks of the rodents infesting the sewers echoing throughout the tunnels. Suddenly there was a large thud that startled both the soldiers, causing them to draw their assault rifles in response.

"What was that?!" The second soldier said, her eyes darting in all directions to locate the source of that noise.

"I don't know." The lead soldier said, checking her hyper-sensor system to try and detect a possible threat, but her radar was clear... it showed that nothing was around but rats... And that sent a worrying shiver down her, because she knew that whatever made that noise... was definitely bigger than a sewer rat.

"Whatever it was I'm not picking it up... Keep your eyes open, it could stealth capable." The lead soldier order her second.

However... Right as she turns around to look at the trailing soldier, A loud gunshot echo's throughout the tunnel. The second soldier felt the shockwave of a bullet whizzing past her head and with no time to react, the lead soldiers head is struck by the bullet, her head bursting into a deep red mist, spraying blood and brains across her partner and the walls as she was decapitated.

"Jesus Christ!" The second soldier said in shock, mortified by the sight of her partner as her headless corpse slumps and falls into the sewage waters. The surviving soldier quickly turns around and draws her weapon in the direction the bullet had come from, but there was no one in sight. Suddenly her gun is knocked out of her hands from thin air... then a sharp pain surges through her head as something strikes her jaw, like fist that was wrapped in case hardened steel. The soldier is knocked back by this and hits the wall, and right before she could move, another surging pain that was worse than the last one rips through her chest as she's pinned to the wall.

The pain coming from her chest was so intense that it rendered the soldier speechless, unable to talk or move. And when she looks down at herself, her eyes widen in fear as she sees a large gaping hole in her chest, blood spurting from the wound and a wrenching pain taking over as if something was literally grasping her heart. The soldier reaches up to cover her wound... but then she felt something else... she became confused as she could feel and touch something coming out of her chest, even though her eyes revealed that nothing was there... like whatever she was feeling was invisible somehow.

And that's when the figure that had sealed her fate reveals itself.

The woman is taken over by shock as a steel wrapped arm slowly began to appear from her wound, slowly traveling up to reveal the rest of the figure that was standing in front of her. It was Jackson, he had used his (Phantom's Cloak) to sneak up on the two soldiers undetected and was gripping the remaining soldiers heart firmly in his hand, feeling it pulse and beat in his palm as he glares through his facial armour at the soldier.

"It doesn't matter how good the money is." He said in a low tone as he pushes his hand further into the woman's chest, hearing her wince and shudder in pain as he grasps her heart tighter.

"To know what's happing in that place and willingly protect it... is a Sin, that is only punishable by death." Jake growls lowly at the soldier. And with one swift motion, his iron fist clamped down hard on her heart until he felt it burst in his grasp. The soldier only let out a breathless gasp as Jake rips his fist out of her chest, blood spewing from her ruptured heart as she drops to her knees. Clutching her wound she looks up one last time at her killer to see the lifeless and cold steel face of Jake's Stryker Suit before her vision faded to darkness and she collapses to the ground as a lifeless bleeding corpse.

"May this rotten sewer be your grave." Jake said as he turns around and leaves the two dead soldiers for the rats and continues on to find the entrance to the labs that they were guarding.

Jake treks through the channel, still looking for a sign that would indicate the location of the lab, but it was proving harder than expected to figure out. However just as he walks past a small service channel, Tohka catches his attention.

"Jackson... I'm picking up a strangely high level of electrical energy coming from behind that wall." She said, causing Jake to stop and look behind him to the wall that the service channel was coming from.

"This on?" He said as he stops in front of what clearly seemed to be solid brick wall.

"Yeah... There's something behind it." Tohka said in confidence, her drone scanners clearly picking up something coming from the opposite side of that wall.

Jake stare's at the wall for a few seconds, looking for a weak spot in it... but it appeared to be solid.

"Hmmmmm, I wonder?" He said out of curiosity as he draws his H.F. Blade and grips the handle of his weapon tightly in both hands. Tohka's drone hovers back to give Jake some space as he takes an aggressive stance and with one swift, fast motion he slashed into the wall in an cross like pattern, but instead of his blade cutting into the bricks of the wall, they flickered and buzzed to reveal that it was in fact a holographic image that was hiding a steel shutter door behind it. Jake's sword sliced through the steel door and with a strong kick he breaks the door down to reveal the entrance to the complex he'd been looking for.

Just then, Mimi (Who was still monitoring Jakes progress over his Codec) pops up on screen to see the entrance herself.

"A False Hologram to disguise the main entrance... That's surprisingly intelligent." She said in surprise, feeling somewhat impressed by the idea.

"Yeah... Whatever they got hiding in here... they really didn't want anyone to find it." Jake said as he enters the complex.

But he wasn't able to go far before he spots a series of infrared defence camera's guarding the hall in front of him. Jake looks at the camera's and sees that they had a low calibre sub machine gun attached to the bottom of them, indicating that if one of them spot him then all of them will track and fire upon him... something he'd prefer to avoid, but its seemed that the way they were panning was giving him almost no way to move trough without at least one seeing him.

"Want me to hack the power and shut them down, Jake." Tohka suggested, but Jkae just shakes his head at her.

"No... That might raise suspicions if we do that... I got a better idea." Jake said as he reaches behind him and takes a small sphere like device from the back of his waist.

It was a S.P.E.M.G (Short. Proximity. Electro. Magnetic. Grenade) A portable, rechargeable version of his I.S's E.M.G's that he could carry with his Stryker Suit. Jake carefully rolls the sphere down the hall, timing his roll perfectly to allow the grenade to reach the middle of the hall without being spotted by the camera's until it suddenly fires a purple shockwave through the hall. The electro wave wraps around the camera's and cause them to spark and shudder before shutting down, giving Jake a clear path through the hall.

"Nice one." Tohka said as Jake smirks while he casually walks down the hall undetected and retrieves his grenade.

"Man I love this thing." He said as he reattaches the grenade to his waist again and quickly begins to recharge it.

Jake quickly passes the camera's and disappears round the corner of the hall before the effect of his grenade wares off and the camera's re-activate. The next hall quickly lead him to a dead end where the next shutter door was only accessible via a narrow stairway that was being guarded by two more infrared camera's... However Jake spots a forklift truck parked near the top of the stairs and comes up with another idea on how to get through. Using the forklift like a stepladder he scales up onto its roof and jumps up to the ledge of the stairwell, hanging from the side of it as he waited for the camera guarding the door to move, and as soo as it looks away from the door Jake quickly climbs up and lifts the door to force his way under without being seen.

The next hall he entered was unguarded but this time Jake could see that the right side of the hall was made of glass, and revealed a larger room on the other side. As Jake walks down the hall he looks through the glass to see a large hanger like room filled with C-S-S-U's as well as multiple autonomous mechanical arms sprouting from the floor and working on the Units.

"Ah... This must be the Cyber-Stryker maintenance area." Lola said over the Codec, noticing that this could be the idea place for Jake to hack into the server mainframe to see what was going on here tech wise. "You should find a terminal there - Something that they use to upload mission parameters to their C-S-S-U's."

"And that's where I should be able to access the labs main server?" Jake suggested.

"Perhaps... but first you need to take a DOOMP." Lola suddenly said, causing Jake to stop in his tracks.

"I'm sorry... A what." He said in confusion.

"A DOOMP... A Digital, Optical, Output, Mounted, Proxy." Lola then specified. "You will need one to access the server mainframe... Any Unit should do the job, a Tri-pod as such would be perfect."

Jackson quietly let off a sigh of relief when he fully understood what Lola was actually implying what he had to do.

"Ohhhh, right... okay." He said, sounding relieved.

"What did you think i meant by that?" Lola asked, unware of the misunderstanding she'd caused for Jake.

"Nothing... never mind." He said, and whilst he said that he was pretty sure he could hear Mimi giggling in the background... Seemed like she saw the funny side of the mishap as well.

"So how do I operate the drone?" Jake asked of Lola, hoping for some more instructions on how he was going to pull this trick off.

"Use Tohka, simply connect her drone to the Tri-pod and she can override its central command unit to take control of it and find the terminal." Lola explained.

"Alright... lets give it a shot." Jake said, disconnecting from the call with Lola to continue on with the task at hand.

Jackson comes up to another shutter door and forces his way under it like the last one. The next part of the complex he found himself in was on the upper balcony of a Type-3 C-S-S-U deployment hanger. Jake peers over the balcony to see a series of small plexus-glass hanger bays that all held a Type-3 Cyber Stryker in it on standby mode, but quickly withdraws when he spots three MK-I Stryker Soldiers below him patrolling the lower deck of the hanger.

"We're gonna need to take those one's out if we want to advance any further." Tohka said quietly over the comms, keeping her drone back for the moment in order to avoid the noise of her rotary blade catching the guards attention.

Jake glanced back over the balcony to observe the guard patrol pattern and son came to agree with Tohka... if he was going to get any further and find the labs, he'd need to take out these three guards, however it wasn't going to be as simple as just jumping down and facing them head on... Jake glances back at the hanger bays where the Type-3's were being held and was pretty sure that if he was to just attack the guards without caution, one of them could activate the Units and make this whole ordeal a lot messier than it needed to be.

Suddenly his Hyper-Sensors pick up one of the soldiers coming up the stairwell to patrol the balcony he was on. Using hand signals, Jake orders Tohka to land her drone and shut off her propellers to avoid being spotted, which she does straight away and takes cover behind Jake. As the soldier comes up the stairs, Jake quietly activates his (Phantom's Cloak) and vanishes into thin air just as the soldier reaches the top of the stairs and turns to where he was just standing... However, the soldier notices Tohka's drone sitting dead on the floor in the middle of the balcony.

"Huh?" Muttered the soldier, unsure where the mysterious device had come from, and with caution to her surroundings, she raises her assault rifle at the drone and starts to slowly step towards it.

As she got closer to the drone to the point where she could reach down and pick it up, the soldier suddenly felt the cold steel of Jake's arms wrap around her without warning and choke her for breath, and without any time to even cry for help, the faint snap of bone and metal shattering echo's out as Jake breaks the soldiers neck and kills her instantly. However he wasn't fast enough to catch her gun as she drops it and the sound of the weapon colliding with the floor catches the attention of the other soldiers on the ground floor.

"What was that?" One of them asked, but the other just shrugs her shoulders as they both look up to the balcony that their comrade had just gone up.

"Unit:3, is everything clear up there?" One of the soldiers said other their comms... but there was no answer from their fellow soldier.

The remaining two soldiers look at each other for a second and respond by aiming at the balcony with their weapons, cautiously preparing to engage an unknown threat as she tries to contact her comrade one last time.

"Linda... Are you still there." The lead soldier said into her Mic. one last time, but like that previous time... no answer.

Suddenly the two soldiers are caught off guard by a small cylinder like object that rolls off the balcony and lands on the ground in front of them. And when the lead soldier glances down at the object, her eyes widen in shock as she realises what it was.

"Phosphorous grenade... GET BACK!" She calls out, but it was too little too late.

The grenade explodes, releasing a thick cloud of Red Phosphorous that spread across the hanger. The two soldiers cough and splutter for breath as they try to recover from being stunned by the grenade, knowing now that there was a threat in the hanger they switched to their helmet visors infrared and thermal vision, but they soon realised that this was useless. The red phosphorus in the grenade had scrambled their I.R. systems and rendered their advanced vision completely unusable, meaning that they were still blind within the cloud that encircled them.

The lead soldier twists and turns frantically, darting her eyes in all directions as she tries her best located whatever set off that grenade. Her breathing was heavy and her heart was racing as she tried to stay focused, However as soon as she turns round again, she was startled by the sight of Jake black armoured Stryker Suit appearing in the midst of the smoke and heading straight for her. In an act of desperate defence the soldier opens fire at the incoming threat, spraying a volley of bullets in Jakes direction. However he was a step ahead of his attacker, ducking and rolling under the incoming stream of bullets as he closed the gap on the soldier.

Before the woman could train her rifle down at Jake he springs up and drives his fist straight into the soldiers stomach, the sound of her armour bending and cracking from the force of his strike rings out as she feels the painful ache of his fist digging into her and is sent tumbling back. The soldier clutches her wounded stomach, coughing up blood as the twisting ache from Jake's punching surging through her as she struggles to get back up onto her feet.

Then she catches a glimpse of the shadowy form of Jake walking towards her in the smoke, she feels a pang of fear shoot through her as she sees the dark figure reaching behind itself and the unmistakable sound of metal gliding against metal rings out as a blade is drawn. The soldier quickly tried to quickly get up and shoot Jake before he could get any closer to her... but she reacted too late and just as she points her rifle at Jackson, he swings his blade upwards and strikes her forearm.

The soldier cries out in pain and shock as Jake's blade slices through her armour like melted butter and severs her hand clean off as well as cut her rifle in half, blood spraying from her wound and across the front of her armour. Jake brings his blade back round and hacks away without any hesitation towards the wounded soldier, slashing into the armour on her upper legs and severing the muscle tendons in her thighs. The soldier is powerless to stay on her feet and as she lands on her knees, Jake grasps the back of her head and pulled her forward as he drives his knee into her face... The force of his strike shattering her helmet visor and pierces her face with glass shards and steel.

Jake steps back to see the soldier kneeling lifelessly on the ground, blood spurting from her disfigured face as she slowly slumped back and lands on her back, seeping blood onto the hanger floor. Suddenly a stream of bullets rip past Jake from behind, some sparking as they skimmed his armour and forces him to duck and roll to avoid the incoming fire.

"DIE YOU BASTARD!" He hears the remaining soldier screaming as she fires blindly into the smoke cloud, hoping to hit her target through sheer luck.

Jake darts and weaves from left to right, moving towards the source of the incoming attack as he prepares to finish off his last target. The soldier continues to fire into the smoke when suddenly the tell tail click of her rifle running out of ammo goes off. She quickly reaches for a fresh magazine... when suddenly, she finally sees Jake as he leaps out of the smoke and flies straight towards her.

"Oh shit!" The soldier stutters as she's caught off guard, with no time to reload she grabs her handgun instead and fires at Jake. Unfortunately for her it was a feeble attempt to stop him as Jake swings his blade in front of him, sparks flying as he cuts and swats the bullets away from him. The soldier realised the error of her ways far too late and before she could turn and run, Jake slams into her and pins her to the floor, swiftly followed by his blade puncturing through her armour and skewers her heart. The soldier could only gasp from the pain as her body grows weak and vision fades to black.

Jake pulls his blade out of the dead soldier and gives it a sharp swing which flicks the blood that stained it clean off before he returned it to its sheaf.

"Okay, Tohka... its clear now." He said to inform her that she could come out of hiding.

"Good work, Jake." Tohka replied as she switches her drone back on and flies down to him. "Now... Let's see what these troops were guarding."

Jake saw her turn her attention to another blast door at the far side of the hanger, and follows the drone as he sees that it required a hand scan to open it.

"One moment." Jake said as he turn around and heads to the remains of the second soldier that he took out and picked her severed hand off the ground and heads back to the scanner next to the door. "Lets see if this works."

Jake pressed the hand against the scanner and watches as it performs its checks on the limb... and sure enough, the lights on the doors locks flash green as it allows him access to the next room.

But as Jake and Tohka walk into the room that was hidden behind this door... they were met with a gruesome sight that revealed the true brutality and horrors that they had feared were true.

The room was packed full of large glass pillars all aligned in several rows, allowing Jake to walk between them like hallways. Jake sees that the pillars were hollow and filled with some sort of transparent liquid that bubbled inside the pillar... but that wasn't what was causing the great sense of discomfort that he was feeling.

It was the devices inside the pillars that the liquid was being circulated through.

They were small orb-like container like devices that where attached to a series of tubes and cables that were feeding both power and liquids through it. At the bottom of the devices was a small tail of some sorts made from fibre optic wires sprouting from it... to most people, they wouldn't be able to tell what these things were nor what their purpose was... But Jake knew exactly what these devices were, and looking all round him to take in the sheer number of these contraptions sent a chill down his spine.

"FIND HIM!"

Suddenly a female voice shouting in the background catches Jakes attention. Looking at his radar he sees that four new contacts were moving in on his location... and fast. He wasn't aware of it at the time but he had actually been spotted on the security camera's that were hidden in the room he was just in and now a small group of Stryker-Suit soldiers were converging on his location to engage him. Jackson slowly turns back around to face the blast door that lead back into the hanger and clenches his fists to crack his knuckles as he slowly steps towards the door... the sound of the soldiers closing in from the other side of the door rapidly growing louder.

"Closing on targets location." Said the leading soldier as the four of them enter the hanger, only to be met with the bloodied corpses of the three guards Jake had took out earlier on.

"Jesus." One of the soldiers said, feeling a chill run down her back as she looks at the gruesome sight of the dead bodies laying on the ground. "What sick freak does this kinda thing to people."

"That doesn't matter." The lead soldier said as she trains her gunsight on the door that she knew Jake was hiding behind. "What matters... is that we make sure this hostile doesn't go any further."

Three of the soldiers take up a defensive position around the door and keep their weapons pointed at it, ready to engage the threat that they knew was hiding behind it. The lead soldier slowly approaches the door and with great caution, she places a hand on the security scanner to deactivate the locks. The door slowly begins to open and the four soldiers prepare to engage... however, as the door fully opens up, there was no movement from inside the room, and this discomforts the soldiers as they knew that there was something in here, but had now vanished from sight.

Using hand signals the lead soldier orders her troops to stay sharp and follow her lead as she carefully steps into the room, constantly glancing at her radar for any movement. The second soldier move forward as she prepared to follow her squad leader into the room.

Suddenly, without any warning, Jackson swings in from above the top of the door where he had climbed up to in order to hide from sight. Planting a foot into the second soldiers shoulder he forces her to the ground before his second foot slams into the head, the skin crawling sound of glass and bone breaking echos out as he crushes the soldiers face under his foot, killing her instantly.

"Fuck!? CONTACT!" One of the trailing soldiers shouts out in shook from being caught off guard by Jake's ambush and tries to run to the hanger bays to activate a Type-3 C-S-S-U to aid them in taking down the threat.

"No you don't." Jake murmurs as he draws his Revolver and fires at the fleeing soldier, spraying blood and metal as he blows half her neck off with the bullet.

Jake quickly turns to aim at the fourth solder and fires at her leg, blowing a hole through her knee cap before she could take a shot at him. The soldier screams in agony, dropping to her knees and clutching her wound as she look up to Jake only to be met with one more bullet from his gun striking her weakly armoured helmet visor and killing her.

"BASTARD!"

Jake turns round to see that the lead soldier was aiming right at him, angered by the deaths of her troops she unloads her assault rifle at him. Jake rolls out of the way and swaps his gun for his blade, swinging it frantically in front of him to deflect the bullets that would of hit him as the soldier presses her attack and closes in on him while firing. The soldier runs out of ammo and Jake takes this as his chance to finish her off and darts towards her. The soldier sees him coming and catches Jake off guard by throwing her rifle at him, forcing him to slash early, cutting her weapon in half and giving her time to back off out of his reach. Jake keeps moving and slice diagonally at the soldier, but she ducks and rolls in the other direction and evades his attack.

Jake predicts that she would be trying to attack his blind spot and swiftly carries his swing around and drives his blade down as he turns round... however he was met with an unexpected move from the soldier as she draws two nine inch combat knives and cross them in front of her to catch his blade, sparks flying in all directions as his sword struggles to cut through the two blades.

The soldier takes advantage of this and drives a foot into Jakes stomach armour, sending him flying back with an unexpected display of strength and slamming his Stryker Suit into the wall. The sound of the metal plating on the wall denting and breaking rings out as Jake fell to his knee after taking that hit. He looks up to see the soldier spinning her knives in her hands and taking an aggressive position in front of him.

"H.F. Knives huh." Jake mutters as he uses his sword as a crutch to get back on his feet.

He had figured out pretty much there and then that this soldier was using High Frequency weapons, because they were the only things that could withstand the cutting force of such a weapon... and that she was challenging him to a blade fight seemed to indicate that she wasn't as simple to beat as the rest of the soldiers he'd faced so far.

Jake keeps his eye locked on the soldier as he brushed the armour on his stomach, showing her that he didn't seem to feel that hit and with his blade in one hand, he drags it across the ground, trailing sparks as he circles the soldier... glaring at her as she turns with him, keeping her target in her sight as they see who moves first.

Jake was the first to attack and dashes towards the soldier, trailing his blade behind him before slashing horizontally at her waist. However the soldier was too fast and side steps out of the way. Jake quickly turns round to see her lash out with her two blades and forces him to go on the defensive, using his sword as a shield and twisting it in all directions to deflect his opponents faster attacks, then the soldier catches Jake off guard and knees the side of his leg, forcing his balance to buckle and almost stumbling him.

The soldier jumps up and drives her armoured knee into the side of Jakes head, his ears ring out from the sound of metal clanging so close to his head and distracts him long enough for the soldier to make her move. With her H.F. Knives charging up she dashes towards Jake and jumps up, spinning her body to build up her attack as slashed out at his head. Jake regains focus just in time to be met wit the soldiers knife striking his visor, sending sparks flying as the weapon makes contact with his suit.

The force of her attack forces him to spin around and land on his hands and knees, still dizzy from the hit... but still in one piece. The soldier takes her defensive stance again and looks down at her target, expecting her attack to have cut through her targets armour and do some serious damage... However when Jake gets back up and faces her, she was shocked to see that despite using fully power on her H.F. Knives... She had barley scratched him, only a faint mark on his visor being the worst of the damage he'd taken.

She watches as the Stryker Suit in front of her rolls its neck to crack its joints and picks its blade off the ground, clearly nowhere near from out of this fight. Spurred by her anger, the soldier charges at Jake with both knives in hand, determined to finish him. However this time Jake was ready and as she goes for another one of her spinning jump attacks, he ducks and rolls under her and quickly turns round and sweep kicks the soldier to the ground as she landed. The soldier hits the floor hard and drops one of her knives, but has no time to grab it and is forced to roll out of the way as Jake tries to stamp her head into the ground. The hanger floor cracks as Jakes steel foot strikes the floor and the soldier launches herself at him and drives her fist towards Jakes head... Jake counters by driving a fist back, both soldiers hitting each others fists. The soldiers winces and backs off as she feels the sharp pain of her hand breaking shoots trough her, Jake on the other hand felt nothing as his armour was superior to hers and does for another punch but missed as the soldier ducks under his fists, grazing his armour with her knife as she lashed out under his arm and quickly wraps her arms around his neck from behind and tries to choke him into submission.

Jake tried to pry her off him, but her grip was too tight and he was starting to struggle for breath, but like hell was he going down... and with a his free arm he tosses his blade into the air and arches his head forward before driving it back and straight into the soldiers face, shattering her visor and breaking her nose in the process. The soldier lets go of him and staggers back, and with perfect timing... Jake grabs his sword from its freefall and swings round as hard as he could and finally strikes home.

His blade hits the soldiers right arm and slices through her armour, severing her limb clean off... However, instead of blood and flesh being exposed, Jake saw oils, metal and wires come fray as he soon realises that the soldiers limb was actually a cybernetic augmentation.

"What the?!" Jake muttered, shocked by the sight of this... and is caught off guard when the soldier lands a strong left hook into his jaw.

Jake is knocked down and the soldier spins her body, ignoring the fact that she was missing a limb and brings her leg round to strike his head. Jake sees the attack coming and barley reacts in time, grabbing the knife the soldier had dropped earlier and drives it into the soldiers ankle before she could hit him, but like when he severed her arm, Jake sees that instead of blood spurting from her ankle it was oil as he twisted her leg to force her to her knees.

Jake shoves the woman away and she slid across the hanger floor. She pulls the knife out of her ankle and staggers back up... but as she looks back through her broken visor, a sense of defeat runs through her as she sees that Jake was aiming his revolver at her again... there was a silent pause between the two soldier and the wounded female Stryker unit could only sigh heavily as she said.

"You won't stop them..."

Jake tilted his had slightly at the soldier, seeing that she had accepted her fate and was wanting him to realise his efforts would be futile... but with a cold glare at his opponent the man behind the armoured suit simply replied with.

"Then you clearly underestimate me."

Jake pulls the trigger and ends the soldiers life with a single bullet to the head, watching as her body collapses to the floor and the last of the hostiles sent to deal with him is put down. Jake returns his gun to his waist and sheaths his sword, looking around for a moment to take in the sight around him... the hanger floor now littered with copses and limbs and stained with blood and oil, a sight that somewhat discomforted him.

Just then, Mimi calls him over the Codec.

"Is it over now?" She asked, checking if Jake was now free from combat and able to speak.

"For now, yeah... But that room." Jake said, his voice carrying a worried tone in it as he brings his mind back onto the room that he'd uncovered... the room that sent a shiver down his spine when he found out what was hiding in it. "Those were C-S-S-U Brain transplant casings."

"I know." Mimi sighs with a heavy heart. "We saw."

She had been watching everything from Tohka's drone and had seen the casings herself, as well as some of the other members of his Squadron. Those casings were designed for allowing a human brain to be successfully transplanted into Type-2 and 3 C-S-S-U's as a replacement in regards to the more common artificial A.I brain that was fitted into the machines, but after seeing that many casings in one room, it had become clear to Jake and Mimi that is seemed that Raven Head was planning on using this procedure as a more common step in advancing their existing Units.

"Sabrina said that they were harvesting organs from kids." Said Jake as he remembers what the young girl he'd saved earlier in the sewers had told him... that she had learned that children were being surgically dissected here... and now... it was starting to all come together as one gruesome and blood chilling picture.

Raven Head was brainwashing the minds of orphan children that they were trafficking here to be transplanted into their Cybernetic Units to increase their efficiency out in the fields.

And Mimi seemed to agree with this as well.

"Yeah, this has to be why they are trafficking children... Perhaps other organs harvested here are being sold elsewhere to maintain funding... but they are definitely keeping the brains for their own purposes here." She said, the thought of what she'd said makes Jackson's skin crawl.

"Jesus- Are they really turning these kids into Cyber-Strykers?!" He said as he glances over at the Type-3 Units in the hanger, wondering if they were already fitted with human brains as well.

"Wait, Jake hold on a second." Lola suddenly said as she joins the call. " The C-S-S-U's you've encountered till now... Did any of them seem like they might have been kids?"

Jake pauses for a second and looks down at her face on the screen.

"You've said before that child soldiers have a tell tail sign approach to combat, did you happen to pick that up at any point." Asked Lola.

It wasn't something that they really spoke about much of the time... but in the past, Jackson has dealt with groups that were illegally forcing children to fight in civil wars, unfortunately it was challenging mission due to the leaders of these groups ordering the kids they were controlling to attack him on sight... mercifully he got it done without hurting any of them and as a result, he'd picked up on the more common method or approach to combat... something that Lola now thought he could remember in order to see if any of the Units Jake had been fighting were by-products of this gruesome experiment.

"Yeah... I do know about it, but i didn't pick it up... those weren't kids." Jake confirmed... feeling somewhat relieved that its seemed the Units he'd faced so far were being operated using A.I. Brains instead... but that wouldn't be the case for much longer at this rate.

"So... What, Raven Head are just doing the surgeries down here?" Lola questioned, thinking that it was a bit odd that Raven Head weren't already using real brains in there Units.

"We gotta do something about this... and fast." Jake quickly suggested. "And all the other kids Sabrina was talking about... She just escaped a few hours ago - They couldn't have taken all their brains out that fast."

"True... There could still be a bunch of kids they haven't touched yet." Lola said, realising that there could be a chance for them to rescue a few of the subjects gathered for this experiment... and with that thought in mind, Jake wastes no time in getting his mind back on the mission at hand.

"I better move... Jackson out."

Jake hangs up the call on his Codec and continues on with his mission.

"Jake..." He then hears Tohka say over his comms... her voice sounding worried and distraught. "Its true now isn't it."

Jake sighs heavily... he didn't want to admit it himself, but the sights that he witnessed in that room, all those brain casings, and the gruesome realisation of what was really happening in this lab lingering in his mind. He could only look at Tohka's drone with a blank expression.

"Yeah... it is... so we gotta hurry." He simply replies.

"Jesus... they're just kids, what kind of fucking monsters are these people." Tohka said, feeling disgusted herself with the actions that she'd seen herself in this complex.

Jake however had his own words about the people here.

"It's Raven Head, Tohka." He said bluntly as he walks off, prompting her to follow him as he ventures further into the base wondering what else he was bound to discover in this nightmare place.


End file.
